On the Sly
by StakeTheHeart
Summary: Catching a well-known criminal is one thing, but catching the most elusive thief around is another. The supposed criminal may seem like an average crook but she has a past riddled with questions she wants answered and she won't allow some cop to get in her way. It may be harder to avoid that when they run into each other out of uniform.
1. New York

**I wouldn't really call this a crossover (although I can change it if you guys think so) but it follows very closely to the first Sly Cooper game with elements from the rest; excluding the newest one. Hopefully it comes out enjoyable and not just a hash up of the games. Of course, adding some jori in there makes everything enjoyable. I've planned out a good portion of it so far and I hope to at least pass ten chapters but I don't know about more. This is the beginning though so let's not worry about the end. Enjoy!**

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_New York 4:20am_

Light feet clad in boots tapped across a high building, balancing along the edge without fear of falling down onto the unforgiving paved ground of the alley below. Nothing but a silhouette in the early day to anyone at first glance. The figure wore light gray pants that hugged the legs, a blue long sleeve shirt with a yellow collar along with gloves that matched, blue high top boots, a blue cap, a yellow belt bearing the masked figure's calling card, and a lightweight red backpack. Should someone actually get lucky enough to see this elusive figure up close they would know exactly who it was. The shadow took a running leap off the roof to nimbly land on the next, continuing the efficient sprint to the required destination. Another jump to the next roof made it that much closer to the spot she needed to be positioned at for the next step of the plan. Her gloved hands tightened in excitement, looking forward to pulling off another easy steal. The weight of the object in her hands was a comfortable familiarity.

The long, shiny object caught the light of the moon as it swung through the air to obliterate a chimney that obstructed forward movement. She leaped off the edge and landed on the ledge of a neighboring building, her slim and curvy yet athletic build highlighted by the moon in the distance. The ledge was just big enough to shimmy along, back pressed to the wall. A quick look around the corner proved all was still silent so a hop over to land on the neon sign across proved easy and unnoticeable. Another jump down to the building it was attached to brought the sign in view. _Police Station_. She smirked. It was just too perfect to miss out on. A hand went back to dig in the supplies held in the backpack and closed around a pair of binoculars that were then brought up to unique blue-green eyes that seemed to enhance with the dark make-up around them along with the simple black cloth mask over. A quick look around and then the figure focused on the objective just as the small ear piece came to life with a young man's nervous toned voice.

"_Sly! Come in! Sly! Do you read me?"_

"Yeah, I read you. Loud and…very loud," a strong yet distinctly female voice answered in a whispered hush, sights still set on the objective ahead.

"_Sorry. I'm a little nervous. Trying to break into police headquarters does that."_

"Get over it Bentley. You're safe in the van. I'm the thief here. I've got to steal that file from the Inspector," she hissed back, slightly agitated. He always had a habit of letting his fear get to him. He was the brains of the operation yet when it came to anything else he stumbled.

"_Well, count on me to be your eyes and ears buddy. I got their security system scoped. To get inside you'll have to go through that air vent ahead."_

She looked into her binoculars and zeroed in on the vent in question. The thief sighed. Of course, more crawling through vents. But really, how many ways could one accurately sneak into an off limits building?

"Right, I'm going in," she confirmed. There was a buzz of static which signaled another call patching through.

"_And don't forget you've got me at the wheel Sly. All you have to do is grab that file and get back to the van. We'll do the rest."_

"Just keep the engine running Murray. I'll be down in no time," she assured him, putting away the binoculars and hopping off her perch. She instinctively scanned the area before moving forward. She ran up the ramp and slipped around the edge of a water tower, jumping off that to barely touch two antennas on her way across them to a higher area of the roof. She landed and continued on to the vent which she smashed open with her sturdy, trusty metal and wood cane given to her before she even knew what to do with it. The vent took her out to a narrow drop straight down, littered with lasers. She expertly jumped from one side of a catwalk to the other until she was at the bottom. A swipe at the security box shut down the lasers and extra lasers outside the door.

"_Nice job, you're in. The office you need is behind a red door."_

Sly saw no such door where she was so she took a left and then another left then ran down that hall to see the door which held her target inside. It would no doubt be locked so she quickly utilized the open balcony window nearby and shimmied her way across the edge to the balcony of the office window. She slipped in and went directly to the back wall where a picture of the police squad hung. She took it down to see exactly what she was looking for, a vault.

"_Way to go Sly. This is definitely where the Inspector stashes all her important files. I hacked into the police security mainframe and discovered the vault's combo. Try dialing in 937."_

The master thief nodded and did as she was instructed then pulled it open. She brightened at the impressive stack of papers regarding her. She refused to let any information of any kind concerning her spread around, especially since the very long line of West thieves took special care to hide their actual name with false ones. She had to remain hidden and protect her family name so she followed their ways closely while keeping any other information out of the hands of those who shouldn't have it. She didn't know how they obtained so much on her this time, but she had a good guess. The ear piece crackled at that moment, Murray's jovial voice coming through.

"_Good job, you got it! If you come down the fire escape and head through the parking lot we'll be waiting in the van."_

The thief stored the files in her backpack, pulled out a calling card in the shape of a masked raccoon, and set it in the vault. Just then, the door opened. She jumped for the window but it was too late.

"Freeze, Cooper! Don't make me pull the trigger this time," the smooth and incredibly strict voice of Inspector Vega ordered. Sly smiled. It looked like her fox was here, and right on time. She turned around to lean on the windowsill casually, unperturbed by the gun aimed at her.

"Inspector Fox, nice seeing you again. When was the last time I saw you? Oh yeah, when I gave you the slip in Bombay," the thief nonchalantly greeted.

"Don't call me that! You still need to return that fire stone of India to its rightful owners," the Inspector spat. The masked figure shrugged flippantly.

"Aw, and I was going to give it to you as a token of my-hey, nice gun. It really brings out the color of your eyes," Cooper teased. The Inspector grit her teeth and tightened her hold on the gun.

"Anyway, don't bother threatening me. You wouldn't pull the trigger and you never have before so you won't now. I suggest you turn around and leave, that way it saves us both the trouble of running around and it still ends with me getting away," the masked figure taunted, her smile pulling into a cocky smirk. The Inspector growled her frustration.

"I mean it this time," she stated, her finger on the trigger. The masked figure just scoffed and moved to leave when a buzz and crack of electricity hitting the wall next to her made her freeze again.

"What the hell was that?" she demanded, looking back with mild surprise. It was the Inspector's turn to smirk.

"This pistol packs a paralyzing punch. I got it especially for you. Think I won't shoot you now, Cooper? Who knows, maybe it'll snap you out of your little crime spree?" she inquired confidently. In this case she wouldn't have to kill the thief but she could still be captured. Her conscience would rest easy and prison would await the elusive master thief.

"Go ahead and try, but our rendezvous are growing on me so I don't think I'll be giving up on that any time soon. I'd love to stay and chat but I just dropped by to pick up a case file. I think you've had it long enough," the thief mocked, making her getaway quick enough to dodge the next incoming blast. She heard the angry shout from the Inspector and laughed, the thrill of the chase making her giddy. Adrenaline shot through her as she made her escape, closely tailed by the police officer who climbed out the window after her. She followed the route she was told not too long ago and jumped into the awaiting van. She stood with the back doors open long enough to see the Inspector not too far away. She took the few seconds she had to admire the wavy brown hair, lithe figure, tight dark blue pants and top covered by a short tan jacket, angular features in a snarl of rage directed at her. They had been enemies so long. She couldn't recall a time when the Inspector wasn't there to bust her and her gang. She gave a dramatic salute, taking off her blue cap to hold to her chest as she bowed low. She then blew a kiss and retreated into the vehicle, slamming the doors behind her just as another shot hit the metal.

"I'll get you, Cooper!" Inspector Vega screamed as they drove away yet again. The thief smiled smugly. Being chased by the Inspector at the end of a great heist was the best part, one she always looked forward to.

S~S~S~S

Inspector Victoria Vega stood in the office of the Chief of Police, Beckett Oliver. He was more than disciplinary when it came to foolish actions and he didn't tolerate many mistakes or excuses. The Inspector worked hard to get where she was and it was all unraveling because of one lowly criminal who even she had to admit had some serious skills to be able to outrun every form of authority that stood in her way. However, Inspector Vega had been the one to ask to be put on the thief's case time and time again only to fail each and every chance she was given. She was more than sure Oliver would chew her out once more and then proceed to strip her of her status for being such a failure. It was with that mindset that she stood nervously, waiting to be addressed. Oliver finished yelling at someone over the phone before turning to her. He grumbled something under his breath and then leveled an angry glare at her.

"I'm sure you know why you're here," he began ominously. The Inspector nodded but remained quiet. She was too disappointed in herself to try and fight the inevitable this time. She had been given too many chances to count. Who had that many failures and still kept their position under Oliver's iron fist? No one.

"Good. At least you're aware of it. Care to tell me what happened this time?" he questioned, his tone falsely friendly. She knew that it held a boiling rage just underneath. He might be quite handsome but his temper demolished any chance of making him a likable individual.

"No," she answered dejectedly. He would see anything she had to say as an excuse so she didn't bother. He nodded and held out his hand.

"Then there's no more to be said. You know what comes next. Give me your badge and relinquish your weapon," he ordered. She somberly did as she was told and then stepped away from the desk.

"You're good at what you do but you're obviously lacking. We'll miss you here, Vega. I'm sure our newest member will be able to take the case and succeed where you haven't," Oliver ranted while the former Inspector thought up rude names to call him, her anger and frustration reaching a new high. She was already being replaced, like he was just waiting for her to screw up again so she could be kicked out.

"Ah, speak of the devil. Ryder Daniels, it's good to see you!" Oliver greeted, standing to shake hands with a tall, dark haired, broad chested man in a black leather jacket. They exchanged formalities but Victoria didn't stick around. She left to clean out her office. The minute she stepped into the recent crime scene her eyes went to the window. Cooper, that stupid raccoon. Yes, she thought of her as a raccoon. She stole with finesse and cleaned her hands of any leads that would give away her whereabouts. It was well-known that even as a child she stole. She was an expert pick-pocket. Living an orphanage life did that to most but having a family history in thievery probably helped.

She was a natural at it. Vega didn't think she was working alone and figured the additional members had most likely met at the orphanage. Nothing was certain though. They almost had all the information they could collect on Cooper and now it was gone because of her. Even with all that information they still hadn't decoded the true names of the thieves that came before her. That was still out of their grasp, which was the main point. Without names they couldn't find her outside of her identity covering gear. Vega let out a big sigh and then dragged herself over to her desk where she started organizing things to be packed. Halfway through her clean up the door opened. She looked back to see Oliver's assistant, Catarina Valentine, walk in.

"Oh, hey Cat," she greeted morosely. Cat held a medium sized box in her hands, empty for a reason. Her usually bright smile was down in a frown.

"I heard," she spoke up softly. Victoria's brows creased and she turned away, shamed of her tarnished status. Cat set aside the box by the desk and pulled the former officer into a hug. She rubbed her back and then pulled away.

"It's ok, Tori. You don't need to work with someone like that grumpy pants Beck. Maybe you can move to a different department?" she suggested. Victoria scoffed.

"Yeah, right. Like anyone will accept me with the record I have," she mumbled. Cat put her hands on her hips while her expression morphed into something of a scolding manner.

"You won't with an attitude like that, that's for sure! Come on, Tori. I know you're a great officer and others will think so too. Haven't you ever wondered what would happen if someone else tried to capture Cooper? They would fail too!" Cat pointed out.

"This isn't helping," Tori told her, her voice a deadpan.

"Ugh, what I'm trying to say is, Cooper is just a tough cookie. She escapes every time. The only reason you look bad is because you kept trying, unlike everyone else who gave up. They catch those easy criminals while you stayed on the case," Cat tried to explain.

"Am I stupid for doing that?" Tori truly wondered.

"No! Not at all! I think you have the patience of a saint to last as long as you did. See, if there was another capture you would get them easily, but Copper is the best. The fact that you came close so many times, closer than anyone else, is proof enough that you're the best person here. It's Beck's fault for not seeing that. I say join another department and show them what you can do. They won't be disappointed," Cat encouraged. Tori smiled brightly at her friend and hugged her once more.

"Thanks Cat," she said gratefully.

"No problem," the peppy redhead answered. When they parted Cat helped Tori pack and carry everything out to her car. Like Cat said, it was time to find a new place, somewhere where she would be appreciated for her work. She thanked Cat again with another hug, jumped in her car, and headed home. Once there she dumped all her things in a corner and plopped in her bed, too tired and sad to do anything more than sleep.

S~S~S~S

Back at the thieves' own HQ, Sly Cooper aka. Jade West, returned to her civilian clothes. She stored away her gear in a padlocked chest in the back of her closet. She took off the mask last, revealing the smoky raccoon eyes underneath. It was her little joke. No one but her gang and the city gamers knew of the thieves they took their names from. It wasn't like anyone else cared anyway. They were just a group of criminals to everyone else. She shut the chest, locked it, and tucked the key under one of her many jars, each holding something that used to be alive at one point. She left her room to get a slice of pizza, knowing the two guys she shared the apartment with would have already drastically reduced the remaining amount. She rushed into the dining nook to swipe the last two slices.

"Geez guys, you want me to starve? **Then** how will we get the missions done?" she accused, taking a big bite.

"You'll survive," Andre, aka. Murray, said with a roll of his eyes and a playful nudge with his broad shoulder. He was the brawn of the group, muscles strong enough to get him through a good old fashion brawl without getting tired or overworked. Hell, Jade was stronger than the thinnest of their crew so she wasn't far behind.

"Hey, I'm the one that should be complaining," Robbie, aka. Bentley, piped up from his seat at the table. He was the brains of the group with ideas and plans none of the other two could ever truly comprehend. He was the only one who ever really sat when he ate. Andre liked to use the kitchen breakfast bar or stand in the case of a finger food while Jade tended to stand or pace. Relaxing and remaining stationary were almost unheard of terms for her.

"Shut up and eat your pizza. No one asked you," Jade teased, smacking his arm with her free hand. He flinched at the blow and rubbed it but smiled.

"Yes ma'am," he agreed with a hearty bite for emphasis. The sauce ended up all over his face, making the other two laugh at him. They both quickly confiscated all the napkins and made their weaker friend work for one. Their usual antics were a constant in the household. Jade was effectively one of the guys yet they were also able to connect with her on an emotional level she needed the few times she was down. They were a great family, bonded since they were six, seven, and eight. Jade was the youngest at twenty two, then came Robbie at twenty three, and Andre at twenty four. Although Jade was the youngest she was the unspoken fearless leader of the group. The other two wouldn't have remained on track if it wasn't for her. Plus, no one was as skilled, agile, nimble, silent, efficient, and effective as she was.

"Oh, hey, I forgot to show you guys these," Andre said, shoving the rest of his pizza in his mouth to free his hands. He dusted them off and then dug in his pockets for some folded up pieces of paper. He unfolded one for example and held it out. There was a picture of Jade in disguise, smiling at the camera confidently. She snatched it from his hands with a gleeful cheer.

"Wow, I can't believe it! I'm wanted," she exclaimed.

"Why wouldn't you be?" Andre teased, giving her a suggestive yet playful once over. Jade smacked his arm before going back to admiring her picture with the word 'Wanted' printed under along with a payment for capture.

"They want me alive. Figures," she commented. Andre nodded and unfolded another, passing this one to Robbie who took it with wide eyes.

"Whoa, I'm actually cool for once! Look, they listed me right there!" he exclaimed. The other two snickered in amusement.

"I'm here too. I would look sweet if I just had a picture to go with it," Andre stated appreciatively, poking at his own name. He wasn't a muscle head, but he put a lot of work into his frame and was proud of all the hard work. Jade took a look at the price wanted for them.

"Damn, they have a thousand more on my head than on you guys," she realized.

"Well, you **are** the one to go out on the field the most so you're bound to be noticed," Robbie said with a shrug.

"True. Most probably don't even know you guys exist," she agreed jokingly.

"Hey!" they both shouted.

"Well, scratch that. Andre, you sometimes help out on the field," she corrected herself.

"Hey!" Robbie repeated, indignant.

"Just joking, Rob. You know that. You may not be useful on the field but we would be nothing without that noggin of yours," Jade amended, ruffling his curly hair.

"You would," Robbie confirmed with a nod, pushing up his glasses when the gesture made them slip. They nodded too to show they agreed.

"Ok, so, pizza is done and I am ready to turn in for a while. We've been up practically all morning," Andre said, stretching out with a yawn accompanying it.

"Yeah, we should rest up. We have a lead that could take us to the first member of that thief gang that keeps sending those goons at us. The same ones who took your family's book," Robbie mentioned, referring to the files they just stole.

"Let's go then," Jade said, turning away from them to head to her room. They had a two bedroom loft with a master room and another room across from it. The guys already told Jade she would have a room to herself, as that was the respectful thing to do, while they shared a room. Jade agreed that they would have the bigger master bedroom while she had the smaller one, which wasn't too bad since she was the only one in there. It wasn't like she took up very much space. They each settled in for the night and fell asleep. All except Jade. She stayed up, laying on her back, staring at the ceiling. Ever since she could remember she had taken care of herself, more so after her parents passed. She didn't allow anyone too close for multiple reasons. Call her insecure, but it was a defensive measure that helped more than hindered. Only until she met the two people who would go on to be her best friends in the world, family even, that she learned to trust again.

She constantly reminded herself to stay alert, let no one else in, avoid temptation. But she was only human no matter how great of a thief she was. She felt she had it all under wraps until the new officer showed up at the height of her thieving schemes. She was pretty much a newbie but her resume and skills quickly got her to the top. Jade had been the one to quickly bring her down again. It seemed even **she** couldn't catch the masked crook. Jade herself hadn't ever thought she would be caught, but it turned out she could. It was a secret not even the others knew about. Inspector Victoria Vega was a fascinating person to Jade. She was a tough challenge to overcome and never once failed to show up time and time again wherever Sly Cooper showed her face. Their chases and banter was almost like foreplay to the thief. She found herself going from scoffing at the Inspector to admiring her determination and then to ultimately falling victim of being attracted to her.

Jade couldn't lie. She was hot. When she got angry she was relentless. She was the perfect formidable foe but Jade was sure she wouldn't be seeing her again. Surely losing every time didn't win her points with the higher ups. She was bound to be fired and Jade had a sinking feeling that it was the last time she would see her Latina Fox. She sighed and rolled over, pulling the blankets around her close. There would never be another like her, Jade knew. She would never have a better opponent than her nor anyone remotely similar to her level of attractiveness. It was time to close the book on that page of her life. She should be happy she came out on top but she knew she wasn't and it would do nothing but bother her. She closed her eyes and hoped for dreams that would fill in for the lack of Inspector Vega's presence in reality. That was all she could ask for anyway.

* * *

**How awesome would Jade be dressed as Sly Cooper and Tori dressed as Carmelita Fox? Oh man, if only I had a drawing of that. I would be one happy person, lol.**


	2. The Bookstore

Jade woke up bright and early, heading down from their apartment loft to the bookstore underneath. She had gotten a good deal from the manager of the place who agreed to let Jade stay if she occasionally worked some hours, especially if there was someone she needed to fill in for. Jade happily agreed since they were finding it hard to get a place for cheap. The few times Jade couldn't make it to her shift due to being out at the time had made her somewhat benevolent, but mostly snappy and rude, benefactor suspicious. They came to a need-to-know agreement to solve that. Jade didn't have to say where she and her band of misfits were going as long as she checked in with their benefactor first so that she knew she couldn't call on Jade until whenever she would be back. Today she promised she would help shelf a shipment of books so she came in cleaned up and ready for heavy lifting.

"Jade, what took you so long? I've been waiting for you to show up! Now you have to shelve the books on your own so I can man the desk," Trina complained, bustling over to stand in front of Jade with her hands on her hips. Jade raised her hands in mock defense and shrugged.

"Hey, I came down as early as I was able. No problem though. I'll get started. The boxes are in the storage room, right?" she replied, pointing in the right direction before heading for it.

"Yes. You know where they are. You've been doing this for a long time so don't play dumb about what needs to be done," Trina responded haughtily, following Jade so she could be heard. Jade rolled her eyes and came to a stop by three boxes stacked on top of each other. She took off the tie on her wrist so that she could pull back her hair. Once her raven locks were out of the way she picked up the top box without much difficulty. She wondered why Andre hadn't been dragged into doing some work too but he and Robbie smartly set up a black market shop online where they sold their stolen goods. They claimed it kept them busy but Jade knew it didn't. The matter wasn't in money though. It was to help make payment cheaper on them, because although they got a lot of money in return, they often put it towards new gear and supplies.

"What's got you breathing fire today?" Jade questioned as she walked out to set the box down by a shelf that was looking a little barren.

"Ugh, well, if you must know-" Trina began.

"I do, or else I wouldn't have asked," Jade cut in with a smirk, knowing it would further ruffle Trina's feathers.

"Quiet. I'm talking," Trina snapped, expectantly.

"I can see that," Jade replied, continuing her work without giving Trina any direct attention.

"Then don't interrupt me," Trina growled in return. Jade just shrugged so Trina continued.

"If you must know, my little sister is stopping by," she finally finished. Jade put another book on the shelf before turning to her.

"Your sister? What for?" she wondered.

"For a visit no doubt. Mom was always unhappy that we went our separate ways the older we got. After our dad died my sister took up following in his footsteps and I didn't want anything to do with it so I found the most relaxing job I could," she answered.

"How'd he die?" Jade asked carefully, thoughts of her own parents' murder flashing before her eyes. They had been killed by a gang for reasons that went beyond what her young mind could fathom at the time. She just knew she was orphaned by a group of very bad people before she could properly get to know her parents. The thought alone saddened and angered her which eventually led to ways in which she could find the ones who did it. At a young age she thought being a spy would be fun but that was quickly scrapped when a thief sounded better, especially when she received the special case her parents gave to her in their will. The case held the family cane and documents with a basic explanation of what her family did. When she met the guys she shared her dream to follow her parents in thieving and they joined in. They haven't been apart ever since and trained together under anyone they thought would be beneficial to their cause. It helped that Jade was naturally skilled in almost anything she put her mind to, Andre was naturally strong, and Robbie was naturally smart. Together they had it all.

"He was a cop. He was supposed to bust this big time gang's hideout when he was ambushed. They weren't supposed to know he and his team were there so they think there may have been foul play at work," Trina explained, her expression troubled.

"You mean there was a rat?" Jade clarified, disgust in her tone. Trina nodded.

"He was cornered away from his squad. At least it was quick," she went on, looking away. For once her voice wasn't a sharp edged sword. Instead, it sounded almost broken.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know how it feels," Jade told her. Trina gave her a questioning look but didn't say anything more. Had she chosen to it would still have to wait because at that moment the store's door opened with a jingle from the bell.

"Trina?" a familiar voice questioned. Jade's body locked up despite the impassive expression she had on her face. She knew that voice anywhere, and although it wasn't yelling out some form of threat this time, it was still noticeable. It was the first time she heard it sound so calm and soft.

"Over here Tor!" Trina called. Tor, as in Tori, as in Victoria Vega. Inspector Fox had arrived again after all, except Jade wasn't in the middle of a heist. She still felt the need to run, though she was sure Tori wouldn't recognize her. She opted for calmly finishing her job and hoped nothing happened. She pulled out more books and started shelving them, her senses picking up on the Inspector coming around the corner to talk to her sister. She mentally kicked herself for not learning her benefactor's last name. It was stupid. She should have been more careful, but she hadn't thought about it at the time. Jade could feel Tori's eyes on her, turning her movements mechanical with the amount of attention on her.

"Oh, is this that assistant you _talk_ about sometimes?" Tori asked brightly, although the emphasis on 'talk' was a way for her to point out that it was more complaints than talking.

"Yeah. That's Jade. She helps once in a while, but if you ask me she comes up with more excuses than I can count," the older Vega commented, her voice a mix of joking and honesty. Jade snorted and tossed another book on the shelf.

"Keep thinking like that and I'll be sure to make this place look so crappy no one will wanna come back," she retorted. Trina crossed her arms and Tori smiled before walking around her to hold out a hand. Jade eyed it before taking it in her own, marveling at the softness of her tan skin. Of course, she often wore gloves so her line of work didn't have a chance to callous her beautiful skin. Jade offered the now casually dressed Inspector, and her enemy, a smirk she reserved for those lucky enough to receive her attention.

"Victoria Vega, inspector of the police force known around the world. Your reputation precedes you, but I'm sure you know that," she said, giving the slender hand in hers a squeeze before pulling away. Tori seemed to be caught off guard as well as her sister who stood with her mouth slightly open behind Tori. Jade's smirk only grew. This was the only time she could give in to her attraction and hell if she wasn't going to take advantage of the moment.

"Um, yeah. I-I was an inspector but now I'm not. I lost the position," she mumbled, tucking a strand of her hazelnut hair behind her ear and looking away.

"What?!" Trina squawked.

"Yeah, that's why I wanted to come by. I wanted to tell you I lost the position so I hope you're happy now," Tori told her, a hint of a biting tone to her voice. Trina scowled and turned away.

"Yes, in fact, I am baby sis. You may love the job, and it may have brought you closer to dad, but at least now you're safer," she shot back, walking away a moment later to complete the tasks needed to fully open the shop. Jade glanced at the clock to see it was five minutes from opening time.

"Ignore her. I do," Jade said, nudging the former inspector in hopes of cheering her up. Tori smiled a little and crossed her arms, gripping them.

"Of course you do. I get enough complaints from her about you when she vents," she responded. Jade raised a brow.

"Oh? Well then I'm doing my job," she joked. This time Tori chuckled and looked to Trina before leaning closer to Jade so only she could hear what she was going to say next.

"Don't let her hear you say that," she joined in the joke. Jade smiled but made a gesture of acknowledgement and got back to work.

"Hopefully I'll see you around. You're clearly my favorite Vega," she complimented, allowing her eyes to take in Tori unashamedly. Who knew when she would get another chance. Tori blushed but nodded.

"Yeah, I, um, I'll see you around then. Maybe I can stop by more often now that I have the time?" the youngest Vega suggested, looking at Jade over her shoulder as she moved to walk away. The shadow of the shelf fell across her just right and was complimented by the sun streaming in through the windows.

"Sure. I look forward to seeing you around," Jade agreed. Tori waved shyly and then walked over to lean on the reception desk to talk to Trina. Jade's eyes raked over her figure, landing on her behind. She bit her lip and forced her gaze away, listening out for the conversation between the sisters.

"Tori, please don't think I wasn't happy you've been doing what you do but I can't hide my relief to know you're out of it," Trina tried to further explain.

"But I'm not. I'm going to sign up as soon as I can in another department. This is what I want to do, Trina. I won't stop unless I have a good reason to," Tori argued.

"And your life isn't good enough?" the oldest asked.

"Dammit Trina, stop! You know how much this meant to dad and how much it means to me. So few people work in jobs they love. I don't want to be one of those people who work just for the pay. I love what I do and I feel accomplished for it no matter the danger. Can't you just accept that? For me?" Tori replied, pleading vocally and visually. Trina's angry expression softened somewhat and she sighed.

"I know, baby sis. I know. Ok, just, be careful," Trina muttered. Tori reached out to take her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"Thank you," she said with a smile. Trina's small smile fell off her face as suddenly as it arrived and she leaned in to impart advice. Jade subconsciously leaned in their direction to hear.

"Do me a favor and don't flirt with my only part-time worker. She might get distracted and use you as her next round of excuses. Take it from me, Jade isn't someone you should tangle with. I can tell she has a past riddled with problems that haven't left. I know you. Don't try to fix her. It isn't worth it. Seriously, Tor," she warned, glancing at Jade before staring down her sister. Jade frowned and set a book down a little too hard. Trina was ruining her chances. Tori on the other hand began to blush but she didn't look convinced.

"Really, Trina? I never tried to fix anyone," Tori replied. Trina gave her an unconvinced look and Tori rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I don't try to fix everyone. Are you going to take that from me too? C'mon, is **everything** dangerous now?" Tori began with exasperation, but ended teasingly, bringing a smile back to Jade's face. Her chances were looking good again.

"Tori," Trina warned, but Tori made a sound of dismissal, lowing her voice to say something. Jade strained her ears and was happy with what she heard.

"But she's so, so…" she began, looking for the right word while the ones she already spat out sounded breathless. It was Trina's turn to roll her eyes but knew what her sister was about to say.

"Yeah, I know. I'm straight and even **I** can say she's hot," Trina reluctantly grumbled in irritation. Tori nodded appreciatively.

"Which is why if she showed up more often I would get more customers, but at this rate no one will show up if they know she won't be around," Trina huffed. Jade didn't like the idea of being used as advertisement on top of what she already did for the shop but she didn't care when she heard Tori giggle. Jade found herself loving the sound. She had never heard her so lighthearted before, and even though she liked that severe side of her, she was quickly warming up to this more laid back side of her. Jade let them chat and got back to work. Tori hung around for the majority of the work day, most likely because she didn't have anything else to do. They crossed each other's paths once in a while. She was either bothering Trina, something that amused Jade since Trina usually bothers everyone, or she was sitting around in the plush chairs with a book in hand. They traded glances and smiles, or smirks from Jade. At one point Jade stopped by to take a seat on the arm rest of the chair Tori sat in. She showed up so stealthily that she was able to steal the book Tori was reading right out of her hands with complete ease.

"What the-" she gasped in surprise.

"This isn't a library you know," Jade told her as she examined the cover with a fond smile.

"Then there shouldn't be comfy chairs and coffee in the back," Tori retorted lightly. Jade ignored her and then began to read off the page she was on.

"'The introduction begins like this: Space, it says, is big. Really big. You won't believe how vastly hugely mind-boggling big it is. I mean, you may think it's a long way down the road to the chemist, but that's just peanuts to space.'" Jade read, looking up to hand the book back with an accompanying smile.

"Wow. I may not know much about space but I have a hard time believing that you can learn about it from who I feel is an eccentric English dude," she continued.

"Douglas Adams isn't just eccentric. He's hilarious," Tori defended. Jade only shrugged.

"Whatever. If you wanna read what actual space is about I can show you the books that will tell you all you need to know," she suggested helpfully. She gave the youngest Vega a wink and then began in the direction of the non-fiction section.

3…2…1

"Ok, show me," Tori stated, standing to set aside the book and follow. Jade looked back at her with a triumphant smirk and led the way. She quickly found a book she could use as an example and pulled it from the shelf. She flipped through some vibrant glossy pictures depicting space and cleared her throat. Tori stood with her arms crossed and waited, an amused grin on her lips.

"'In third century B.C., Aristarchus of Samos asked the question 'How far away is the Moon?' He was able to measure the distance by looking at the shadow of the Earth on the Moon during a lunar eclipse. It was Edmund Halley, famous for predicting the return of the comet that bears his name, who three centuries ago found a way to measure the distance to the Sun and to the planet Venus. He knew that the planet Venus would very rarely, every 121 years, pass directly between the Earth and the Sun. The apparent position of the planet, relative to the disk of the Sun behind it, is shifted depending on where you are on Earth. And how different that shift is depends on the distance from both Venus and the Sun to the Earth. It was knowing this fundamental distance from the Earth to the Sun that helped us find the true scale of the entire Solar system for the first time. When we leave the solar system, we find our star and its planets are just one small part of the Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way is a huge city of stars, so big that even at the speed of light, it would take 100,000 years to travel across it. All the stars in the night sky, including our Sun, are just some of the residents of this galaxy, along with millions of other stars-" Jade lectured, reading straight from the text. She was pleasantly surprised when Tori's face displayed her irritation, then her hands came up to slam the book shut between them. She then push it away to be replaced with her body which backed Jade into the wall behind her. She grabbed the book from Jade and tossed it aside then took her wrists to pin them to the wall at her sides. Jade held back a groan at her forward behavior.

"That was incredibly boring. I like Douglas Adam's explanation way better," Tori stated, her voice a husky rasp and her lips inches away from Jade's.

"You didn't even let me finish," Jade pointed out, knowing she was purposely being interjected, but her pleased smirk was spreading, an obvious sign that she didn't mind if this was what she would get for stopping.

"Is that a bad thing?" Tori inquired, her thumb brushing along the underside of Jade's wrist, a soft spot that made her breath catch subtly.

"No. Not at all," she mumbled, reveling in the caress. Tori smiled at her reaction and then leaned in to kiss Jade's cheek, then the corner of her mouth. Her lips almost met Jade's when they were interrupted.

"Jade! Where the heck are you? I told you I need you to get more of those magazines from the back! What am I paying you for?" Trina demanded. Jade sighed and so did Tori. She let Jade go, picked up the book, and busied herself with finding where it went. Jade straightened up off the wall just as Trina found them. She must have felt the tension because she gave them both a disapproving glare, hands on her hips again.

"What are you doing?" she asked Jade.

"You don't pay me and I was just showing Tori where the books on space are. What does it look like?" Jade snapped.

"Uh huh, well, I do pay you in generosity, which I can take away. So now that you showed her what she was looking for get back to work," Trina ordered. Jade saluted her dramatically and then walked away, glancing once more at Tori who happened to already be looking at her. Their eyes met, smiles exchanged, and then they looked away. Trina followed Jade to the storage room after giving her sister a parting glare.

"No funny business in my store with my sister," she reprimanded her part-time worker.

"You know, I'm surprised I'm even attracted to someone related to you," Jade commented frankly. Trina scowled.

"Whatever. Just sort out stock back here and don't come out until I say you can," she instructed.

"Afraid I'll get too close?" Jade taunted.

"Yes, I am," Trina admitted.

"Why?" Jade responded, her smirk tilting down into a small frown.

"She doesn't need trouble like you on top of her worry to be the kind of person our dad was, his death, and her failure concerning the first thing. Just stay away from her, Jade. I don't know what you're involved in, but since you haven't been very truthful I don't trust you," Trina confessed.

"I suppose that's understandable…" Jade muttered, her hard gaze on Trina, refusing to look away. Trina sighed, pushed her hair back, and then left without another word, leaving Jade to her thoughts. Her first being she was pretty sure Trina was full on scolding Tori right now. She understood where Trina was coming from but she also felt a little hurt for being so distrusted. Was she really such a bad person? She stole, but not habitually and it wasn't an obsession. She usually did it to other gangs or criminals that stole whatever it was in the first place. She was a thief to thieves which was the easiest way for her to prove who was best at their trade. She sold the stolen goods back to the original owners for some quick cash, but hell, they needed to make a living somehow, right?

She worked as her thoughts ran wild, visiting and revisiting ideas and concepts. Sometimes she came across a memory or two, burying the ones showcasing the fun she had when the Inspector was involved. Maybe she wasn't allowed to finally find happiness. Maybe she was doomed to live her life falsely believing she was doing good in some way. She liked her lifestyle, and she loved the guys like brothers she never had, but she wanted more than the daily routine she had sunken into. She growled her frustration, threw down the last box, and stomped out of the storage room. It was getting dark and the store was closing. That was her cue to head back upstairs, but before she could disappear, Trina caught up to her. She groaned her annoyance and speared her with a glare.

"What do you want now?" she practically spat.

"Do you wanna get paid or not?" Trina inquired, holding out a check. Jade raised a brow at that but didn't move to take it.

"Why the change of heart?" she asked, crossing her arms and standing up straight, her signal to everyone else that they should watch their step.

"Extra interest if you stay away from my sister," Trina answered with a shrug. Jade's anger hit her like a speeding bus. She smacked the flimsy form of money out of Trina's hand with an agitated snarl. For once the older woman's fear was plain to see, her bluster completely eradicated for the time being.

"Screw your money. I don't want any of it. I'll keep working because that was our deal but I won't accept petty bribery, especially if it's to regulate my actions. You can't tell me what I can and can't do. Victoria is a grown woman. She can make her own decisions so far be it from you to tell her what to do. I understand you guys have had it rough recently…" Jade started out with fire in her words, but that died down to quiet concern. She had also made it hard on Tori, she realized, dodging her so many times that she lost her job.

"I get it, but your sister needs to socialize wherever she feels comfortable so she can move on. I know you don't like me, but trust me when I say I've been hurt so many times and have seen so many suffer that I wouldn't want to hurt someone else. When I genuinely like someone, I'm in it for whatever crap they decide to put me through. If she wants something serious in the future, I swear, I'll do my best to give her all I have. You have my word," Jade continued, her tone sensitive and honest in a way Trina had never heard her use before. That alone convinced her of Jade's sincerity. She was right. She never did like or fully trust her most recent part-time employee, and there was an aura about her that screamed loyalty, but she just couldn't place it. It looked like her loyalty only surfaced when it mattered most. She sighed dramatically and held a hand to her head with some frustration.

"Fine, but if I hear you hurt her I'm kicking your ass black belt style and throwing you out. I wouldn't care less what happens to you and I'll make sure Tori doesn't feel guilty about any of it. I can promise you that," Trina cautioned. Jade nodded and relaxed her posture.

"I wouldn't want it any other way. I might just beat myself up if that happens," Jade replied. She offered Trina her trademark smirk and Trina just shook her head. No matter how much she wanted to go back to yelling at Jade, she couldn't. She had too much charm and an unholy way of diverting obstacles in her path, making it easier to just accept her ways without much complaint. It was a frustrating but admirable trait she fell victim of almost every time. Possibly, like so many others. Jade knew it and her smirk grew.

"Wipe that stupid look off your face and run over to the hardware store for some nails. I'm sure you've seen the broken shelf in the back," Trina ordered, the tension lifting and the usual atmosphere that surrounded them lifting too. She saluted and then left the store to walk down the street. She entered the brightly lit building and headed right for the shelf holding the nails she needed. She reached out to pick them up when she noticed the clumsy steal a man next to her employed in her peripheral. She shook her head at his unskilled yet successful grab at a few bucks from the neighboring customer's pocket. Jade picked up the box of nails and exited the aisle from their direction. She acted like she was just slipping past, since there was barely any room to get by them easily, and expertly removed the few bucks from the pickpocket's own pocket. She then slapped them in front of the man they belonged to, startling him.

"You dropped these. Make sure to secure them next time," she told him, walking away before he could say anything in return. She heard the other man curse and she smiled. She couldn't be a bad person if she did that. No, she used her skills for good. On the trip back she kept her courage up, determined to ignore her worries and doubts. They wouldn't get her anywhere. They hadn't when she was younger and they wouldn't now. She knew better. She wasn't susceptible to them anymore. They wouldn't let them drag her down. She returned to the bookstore feeling more capable of good than when she left.


	3. Falling Head Over Feet

Jade went right back to work as soon as she returned to the bookstore. She located a hammer in a tool bin in the storage room after a few minutes of searching. She didn't think Trina would really excel in this so she prepared to fix the busted furniture herself. How hard could it be? She was just about to pummel the poor nail with her pent up frustration when she heard footsteps. By experience she knew it wasn't Trina.

"What are you doing down here? Bored of sitting up in the nest?" she questioned, setting aside the hammer and nail to turn around. It was Andre. She knew it was him, the sound of his shoes dragging over the floor in his familiar slow walk. Robbie's sneakers sometimes squeaked with his erratic and quick movements.

"I got bored a few hours ago and came down to accompany you while you worked but Trina said you were back here and under her watch. What did you do this time?" he replied, a held back smile on his lips.

"Yeah, laugh at me. I've been put in a corner like a freakin' kindergartener for crying out loud. It's not my fault that I don't do well with rules," she responded in a deadpan.

"We both know that," Andre added with a nod.

"Yes, which is why I don't give a flying fuck what Trina says. I'm going after her," she went on.

"Wait, who are we talking about?" Andre questioned. It was then Jade remembered she hadn't shared her feelings with the guys, afraid they would abandon her for fraternizing with the enemy. It was an old defense mechanism to back out when she got too close, but like Andre and Robbie, she was letting this complete stranger, an inspector who hated her guts at that, in. She gave Jade a feeling that she could trust her, which she shouldn't, but it was hard to ignore. She needed to know who Inspector Vega really was off duty, whether her sister liked it or not. It was time to come clean.

"Victoria Vega," she answered frankly.

"The Inspector?!" he exclaimed. Jade punched him in the shoulder hard and he flinched.

"Shut up," she commanded. He nodded while rubbing his arm uncertainly.

"If anyone else knows about this I'll beat the daylights out of you even if you didn't say anything, so don't let it slip," she threatened him. He nodded faster this time and held up his hands submissively.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he assured her. She stared at him long enough to irk him, and then averted her eyes.

"Good," she stated curtly with a nod. She turned back to the task at hand but Andre stopped her again, distracting her by just idly standing around. She clamped her teeth together and then took a deep breath before addressing him.

"What now?" she snapped. He shifted but eventually replied.

"While you were condemned to labor work back here me and Rob have been out front," he told her, something in his voice hinting at more he wanted to say.

"Yeah, and…?" she prompted, waiting for him to continue.

"Well, we kinda simultaneously agreed to talk to her, you know, scope out the enemy," he went on. Jade was now more agitated than before. Why couldn't he just spit it all out? Her brow rose dangerously and Andre knew he had to say what he meant quickly before Jade beat it out of him.

"She isn't too bad when she doesn't have a duty to capture us and bring us in," he finally said, rubbing the back of his neck and not meeting Jade's eyes. That surprised the leader of thieves.

"So, what your saying is, you won't mind if I…" she started, but he nodded before she could finish.

"Jade, you're my best friend. You, me, and Robbie are family. I want you to be happy, and if this is what you want, then I'm cool with it. I'll always support you. Besides, I had a feeling you had the hots for her," he said sincerely only for it to quickly transform into affectionate teasing. She raised a fist, preparing to hit him. He flinched but she held back the shot, only looking to give him a scare.

"Thanks," she eventually said, dropping her hand. He relaxed with a chuckle.

"Just be careful, ok? I don't want you getting hurt. I mean, you're you so sneaking around is your specialty, but you know I worry about you still. I'll always be there for you so if you happen to need a quick getaway, I'm ready with the van," he reminded her.

"Of course," she said with a nod and a smile. He leaned in conspiratorially and held a hand to his mouth to mock hiding his words from no one.

"Also, I have to say, great choice. Nice body, strong willed, and a Latina," he told her playfully, knowing the former inspector was just Jade's type. This time she smacked him in the stomach. He played up being hurt but she knew his abs easily deflected the blow.

"Yeah, I can pick 'em right?" she agreed, going along with it.

"That's why you're my wing woman," he pointed out. They laughed and then Jade turned away to pick up the hammer again.

"Whoa, I thought we came to an agreement," he exclaimed in mock fear, backing away.

"Oh shut up. I have to fix this stupid thing. I'll see you guys when I'm done," she replied.

"You know what you're doin'?" he asked her. She paused and then looked at him with an exasperated expression.

"Hell no, but like most things, I'll wing it," she answered. He guffawed and then stepped closer to take the tool from her.

"I'm officially taking over then. Go relax or something. I'll handle this. You did a lot today anyway," he offered. She happily relinquished her position with an appreciative half smile.

"Awesome. See you later," she said, patting his shoulder before taking her leave. She passed Trina on her way towards the stairs. The older woman glanced at her but said nothing so Jade kept going. When she stepped into the apartment she found Robbie in the kitchen.

"What's on the menu Iron Chef?" she asked him jokingly. He laughed and shook his head. Robbie was the only one out of the three of them who knew anything about cooking. He wasn't great at it but just good enough to keep them from dining on take-out every day.

"Hopefully something that won't get me eliminated," he joked back.

"I'm curious. You must be serving up something good if you pulled out all the stops and actually wore a damn apron," Jade said, taking a seat on a stool at the breakfast bar so she could overlook his work.

"Hey, I like my apron," he defended.

"I would like it if it said 'Turtlenecks are for weenies'," Jade advised. Robbie gave her a frown.

"I am **not **putting that! It has nothing to do with cooking!" he argued. Jade just shrugged.

"So," she said, uncaring.

"Plus, I wear turtlenecks and they're perfectly fine," he pouted.

"That's because you're you and they're for weenies," she pointed out.

"I'm not a weenie!" he whined.

"Yeah you are, but its ok. You're my weenie," she stated, a laugh quickly following when Robbie dropped everything he was doing to properly shoot a glare at her.

"Ok, ok, I'll stop. So what's for dinner?" she asked, changing the subject back to the original question that started her bout of teasing.

"Nothing for you, but Andre and I are having a new pasta dish I found online along with a Caesar Salad," he told her with his nose upturned and a snooty tone to his voice.

"Aw, but I wanted some," she pretended to sulk.

"Too bad," he retorted.

"What is this pasta dish called anyway?" she wondered.

"Uh, well, I can't quite pronounce it…" he mumbled. Jade laughed and jumped off the stool.

"Figures. Let me know when it's done. I think I'm going to take a nap," she remarked, heading for her room.

"Yeperoo," he responded, dropping all charges against Jade automatically. There was a time they didn't get along as easily and they actively held things against each other but now their disagreements turned to friendly banter with no reparations by the end of it no matter what was said. Jade shut her door when she got into her room, kicked off her shoes, and then fell into bed. Her tense muscles relaxed little by little but she didn't sleep. She couldn't. Her thoughts turned to the one person she really didn't want to think about. She had no control over that. She briefly wondered, should she decide to pursue Tori, if she could sneak around her as well as her sister. She would have to hide the fact that she was the masked thief Sly Cooper from both of them but she would also have to hide dating Tori from Trina. It wouldn't be an easy task seeing as she lived in the same building as the older, highly nosy and protective Vega. She groaned and tucked her head under her pillow. Her thoughts must have taken up all her time because soon she was assaulted by her spare pillow.

"Stop hitting me," she grumbled to whoever it was. She heard Andre's deep chuckle as he hit her once more before tossing the pillow aside.

"Wakey, wakey," he cooed mockingly. She threw aside the pillow over her head, swiftly launched from the bed, and tackled him before he could make a run for it. She locked her arms around his neck in a way that wouldn't choke him and locked her legs around his middle.

"Ahhh, the sleeper hold! Blast you Sly Cooper! I'm going down!" he screamed dramatically, stumbling around to add to the act.

"That's right fiend. Submit to the sleeper hold!" she commanded with a barely suppressed grin of mirth. Andre fell to his knees, careful not to drop Jade, and gripped her arms.

"You attacked when my back was turned! Who's the fiend now?" he questioned accusingly. Jade opened her mouth to answer but at that moment Robbie found them.

"Guys, stop messing around. Dinner's getting cold," he complained.

"Yes, mother," Jade replied, releasing Andre so that he could get up. Being as strong as he was she didn't have to, but Robbie would really go off on a rant very much like a mother if they didn't get to the food he prepared. Robbie didn't react to the jab. Instead, he just walked away, leaving the other two to follow. Robbie had already set out their plates where they usually ate.

"What do we have to drink?" Jade asked anyone with an answer. Andre opened his mouth but Robbie beat him to it.

"Water," he answered.

"That's it? What about coffee? I'm sure there's still more," she responded, getting up to check.

"No, Jade. You can't keep drinking only coffee," he disagreed. She sat back down but shot him a glare.

"Why not?" she demanded.

"It's not good for you," he fussed, getting up to probably supply her with water.

"But-" she started to disagree.

"It's that or juice. Or would you rather have milk?" he threatened.

"Ugh, fine. Water," she relented. He nodded and grabbed a cup to fill while Andre laughed under his breath. Jade turned her scowl on him and accepted the proffered cup when Robbie returned.

"Thanks mother hen," she muttered from behind her cup when she took a drink.

"No problemo," the so-called 'mother hen' replied, digging back into his food. He was unfazed once again. Jade didn't resent it so much because she knew he was just looking out for her the only way he knew how. It wasn't like anyone could stop her from doing what she did best. Andre physically protected her with occasional emotional support while Robbie made sure she was physically as well as mentally healthy with the use of many puzzles and problems to solve should she encounter an obstacle he couldn't be there to help her with for whatever reason when they were on a mission. They were the caring older brothers she never thought she would have but was grateful for them. They fell into conversation, going over plans and making new ones while also talking about random generic things that had nothing to do with their odd lifestyle.

When dinner was over they helped each other clean up, said their good nights, and went to bed. Before falling asleep, Jade reminded herself to wake up early again for a morning jog by setting an alarm on her phone which she then set aside. She felt like a nice refreshing outing would clear her mind enough to allow her to make adjustments to the plan for their next heist. She only regretted the fact that Inspector Fox wouldn't be there to bust her this time around. She finally fell asleep with a slight frown on her face, knowing the thrill and success of the heist wouldn't be as fun without Inspector Victoria Vega to threaten them at the end of it all, always a hair too late. Jade's dreams focused on the good old times but quickly melted away at the sound of her alarm. She quickly shut it off and growled her irritation at the abrupt end.

"And I was having such a good dream too," she mused tiredly. She gave herself a few minutes to wake up fully, rolled out of bed, and then got dressed. She went downstairs and left silently out the back door, locking it, and then started her jog down the street, making a right and then left across the street to enter the park. The scenery and plant life always calmed her while she made her way through it. The sun was barely up at this time, casting a dark glow around her. She was traveling deeper and deeper into the park when she decided to look down. At that moment she noticed her shoe coming untied. She was just about to slow down and kneel when she tripped over something, or more like someone, and fell flat on the ground. She rolled to her feet quickly, alert as always, to see she had crashed into Tori Vega who was already kneeling down to tie her own shoe when Jade crashed into her. She laid on her back now, thrown over by the impact.

"I'm sorry. I didn't see you. I wouldn't have ran you over if I did. I'm usually paying better attention. Even if I saw you late I'm pretty good at hurdles," she apologized, bending to help Tori up on her feet. Tori clung to her for support, grateful for Jade's help in her winded state.

"Thanks, and its ok. I should know better than to stop in the middle of the road. I guess I thought no one would be out at this time," Tori replied, slightly out of breath.

"I felt like some fresh air and silence so I started early today. Are you always out around this time?" Jade asked curiously, wanting to know more now that the oldest Vega wasn't around.

"I am. I like being out when the city isn't so…busy," she tried to explain. Jade just nodded.

"Yeah, I get that. So, um, I was thinking, do you mind if I join you?" she inquired, trying to keep the hope out of her voice but her eyes already translated that. Tori smiled, wishing she could say yes.

"Unfortunately I'm already done…" she began. Jade deflated slightly before waving it off.

"Ok, see you around then," she quickly said before turning and starting her jog, desperate to get out of her moment of weakness. Tori, however, was just as curious so she caught up to her.

"I was thinking of going for a sandwich at that new place that opened not far from here. Do you...wanna join me?" she asked, a smile spreading on her face. Jade brightened at the idea.

"Sure. I'd like that," she accepted, slowing to a stop.

"Good. Keep up then," Tori challenged, taking off suddenly like a gazelle running through the grasslands. She was so graceful. Jade smirked and followed her, pushing into a burst of speed like that of a cheetah in order to catch up. She fell into step with the former inspector in no time, laughing at the light feeling she got. Tori laughed with her, speeding up slightly. They left the park and ran down the street, giddy as kids racing, to slow to a stop outside a small shop Jade had seen many times but hadn't been inside yet. They practically fell in as they had been playfully fighting for the door. The employees as well as the customers looked up at them questioningly.

They apologized and gathered themselves, Jade happy to loosen Tori up and Tori wondering how Jade was able to do that in the first place. They waited in line, Jade questioning Tori once in a while to find out her food preferences. It was little things like her dislike for mayo. She liked a lot of tomato. She didn't like peppers or jalepenos but she loved onions. That was followed by Jade jokingly telling her that she should be warned not to kiss her anytime soon in such a flirty way that she made Tori blush. Jade laughed at the cute reaction and came to the conclusion that Tori wasn't such a hard ass as she was when she was on duty. Jade liked her both ways but far more in moments like this. With Tori finishing her order stuffed in wheat bread, Jade ordered hers and paid for both of them.

"You didn't have to do that," Tori told Jade while they left to return to the park where they could enjoy their food outside.

"I know, but I wanted to do something for you. I heard you talking to your sister about that whole debacle at the station and I figured I could put you at ease in any way I can," Jade reminded her, hoping it didn't put a damper on Tori's mood.

"Yeah, it's so stupid. I'm the only one who even came close to catching Cooper. I should be given props for getting that far at least, right? But no, they focus on the failure to capture," she vented, her anger and frustration rising, bringing about the steely tone Jade had been familiar with for some time. She nudged her and offered a smile which Tori saw and returned. She got the message. That being to let it go. They walked in silence to a nice shaded area of the park on the only benches not too splintery or dirty. They sat across from each other and unwrapped their sandwiches. Jade took a huge bite, almost losing some of it. Tori took a more modest bite, chuckling with amusement at her companion. She made sure to chew properly and swallowed before talking.

"You act like you're starving," she observed. Jade carefully swallowed her mouthful before answering.

"I kinda am. I get really hungry after running. Well, even though I didn't run much since you got in my way," she teased. Tori gave her a peeved frown that wasn't at all serious.

"Hey, I didn't want to fall on my face…like you," she countered, a smile curling her lips as she took another bite. Jade's brow rose at that but she just smirked in return and kept eating. When they finished Jade initiated a race out to the front of the park. Tori agreed and kept up so that they were neck and neck but Jade attempted to throw her off by pushing her off the road. She never claimed to play fair. Tori's quick reflexes made sure that she brought Jade down with her. They tumbled into the grass with Jade on top of Tori. They laughed at the unfinished race which then died when they realized the position they were in. Jade stared into Tori's eyes, lost in them, while Tori reciprocated. Jade propped herself up above Tori with the forearm of her left arm while her right lifted to curiously brush over Tori's cheek.

She sighed at the contact, bringing her hands up from their place at Jade's waist to wrap loosely around her neck. She pulled slightly so that Jade came closer, a silent request. Jade's breathing quickened. Tori searched Jade's eyes a moment longer before her own beautiful browns fluttered closed and their lips finally met. Jade groaned quietly, reveling in the moment. Tori's acceptance of her made Jade bold. She pressed herself flush against the Latina and slipped her tongue out to trace over Tori's bottom lip. She eagerly opened her mouth to let Jade in. Tori's hands slipped back down to dig into Jade's back, gaining an instinctive reaction from her, which was to grind her hips into Tori. A shudder tingled through her at the contact but made her pull away from Jade at the same time. They were getting in too deep, and they both knew it.

"I-I can't, I can't do this right now, Jade," Tori panted, pushing her back a little. Jade gazed down at her, disappointed, but nodded in acceptance. She got up hastily and helped Tori to her feet.

"I'm sorry," Tori apologized, but Jade held up a hand.

"No problem. Getting hot and heavy in the middle of the park isn't on your 'To Do' list. It's fine. I need to get back home anyway," Jade told her, straightening out her clothes. Tori did the same, brushing grass off herself and avoiding Jade's alluring gaze. They continued back to the bookstore in silence but walked close to each other. When they arrived, Jade took Tori's hand, kissed her knuckles, and then bowed gallantly. Tori laughed at her playful antics.

"Until another time. That is, if you want that. Do you?" Jade asked Tori hopefully. Tori pretended to think about it before nodding.

"Until another time," she agreed. Jade grinned and Tori returned it, taking the time to catch Jade off guard with a kiss to her cheek. Jade watched her jog away, unashamedly admiring her assets while she could. When Tori was too far to see clearly Jade went inside. She passed a suspicious Trina but paid no attention to her. She went right upstairs for a cool shower, hoping that would calm her down. When she got out she met up with Robbie and Andre to start on their plans and see what they already had. Without realizing it, Jade's thoughts drifted to Tori. She was so distracted by them that Andre had to punch her in the shoulder to snap her out of it.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" she complained, rubbing her shoulder.

"Focus!" he demanded, jabbing his finger at the mess of plans spread across the table.

"Alright, alright, I'm focusing," she grumbled, crossing her arms and truly staying clear minded. They spent most of the day planning and the rest on whatever they wanted to do. The late hours took Jade's teammates and family to sleep but she stayed up, gazing out her window, thinking about Tori. She had her doubts about considering a relationship with her but she couldn't just walk away. She wanted her long time enemy, and the fact that she was still supposed to be her enemy didn't keep her away. It actually made her want it more. It called to her very nature, undertaking something that was dangerously out of her reach. She finally fell asleep with her dreams centered on the one and only girl for her.

~S~S~S~S~

It was late at night but the Chief of Police had stayed behind at the police station. He growled into the phone he held to his ear, his feet propped up on his desk. He was sick and tired of people who failed to do what they were told. He was seconds away from doing it himself but he had to lay low, using incompetent fools instead.

"Cooper will find out soon enough with the files she stole. There are things in there that will lead her to the documents even she doesn't know about. Find Cooper before she finds you or you know what will happen," he threatened. A compliant 'Yes boss' came through the phone before the call was disconnected. He let out a harsh breath then rubbed at the bridge of his nose. At least Vega was out of the way. For now. If she knew what was good for her she would stay away. After all, one Vega had already gotten mixed up in it and he was easily taken care of. The new Chief of Police had to do what his father, the previous Chief, and ancestors failed to do.

"I won't let that thief get the better of me. My family hasn't fought this long to lose everything now. I'll get Cooper if it's the last thing I do," he vowed, dropping his feet to stand. He stretched, grabbed his coat, and then left his office. He had a lot of things to get done and they weren't going to get done sitting around there.


	4. Captured

**I would have had this up yesterday but for some reason the site wouldn't allow me to upload any documents so blame FF for that.**

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Jade woke up early again and searched for Tori while she jogged. They crossed paths in the park once more and continued onto an almost identical repeat of the day before, minus a surprise heated make out session. Jade did get a kiss on the cheek before Tori left her at the door to the bookstore though. She walked in with a smile and Trina glared at her yet again. She greeted the older Vega with a wave and continued on, unperturbed, to meet up with the guys. Days passed with a similar routine. Jade was happy with the simplicity of it while the guys questioned her sanity. They were planning another heist after all and she was spending her spare time with a cop. She always just waved them away, too happy to care, so they shrugged it off. There was no use arguing with Jade. They knew from experience. The routine broke the day Jade returned home and stumbled across the stolen files she forgot in her desk drawer. She decided to see just how much the police knew about her. She opened the packed file and took a seat at the desk. She practically took the folder apart in her search. There was a lot of information to take in. She found pictures of her parents in disguise and uncovered files on her father that brought long buried memories to the forefront of her mind.

She remembered him teaching her skills she didn't understand. At the time she didn't know why she would need them. He gave her a wooden cane to play with as practice for when she grew up and wielded the family cane. It was a tradition. She hadn't really known that her father was prepping her to be a thief until after they died. It was in her blood, passed down from him. She was destined to carry on their legacy. Her dream since childhood held true and she became a master thief just like them. She dug through more files to find out her parents' murderers were in fact a group of criminals, far worse than her, who called themselves Talons. Her family had been stealing from them for a very long time, proving that a thief that could steal from another thief made them a master thief. It looked like they finally got the upper hand in the end. She was the last of her family so it was up to her to avenge them. She was fortunate to find that all five miscreants were listed with her files since they were tied to her family. Why they hadn't been caught yet was a mystery to her but she would make sure they paid for what they did.

The other thing that bothered her was that no one seemed to know her secret identity besides the guys, yet someone in the police force had an idea if they collected all that info on her. It made her feel vulnerable and ill at ease. She shelved the thought, shut the file, and brought it to Robbie so that he could pinpoint their first target's location. Andre gathered some extra supplies and packed up the van. They were scheduled to head out in two weeks, which gave Jade plenty of time to make up a story to tell Tori. The problem was, she couldn't. Not really. Every time she was given the chance she backed out. She came up with excuse after excuse every time she saw the beautiful Latina. Before she knew it there was only three days left. She was taking the day to avoid Tori when she unfortunately bumped into her the minute she returned home. She couldn't believe her luck. The universe must really disagree with her. She had spent all day out in a part of town no member of the police force would be caught dead out of uniform only to run smack into her at the end of the day. She was going out the back way, which meant she was trying to avoid her too. Tori looked away first after an uncomfortable amount of time passed between them. Jade cleared her throat and bit her lip before speaking but Tori suddenly cut her off.

"What's wrong with you? You've been so distant lately and now you're avoiding me," she accused. Jade's temper flared slightly.

"Me, avoiding you? You wouldn't be going out the back door if you weren't trying to avoid me too," she pointed out, mildly agitated.

"Well I wouldn't be avoiding you if you hadn't started to avoid me in the first place! I thought I did something wrong!" she snapped back.

"What in the world- Vega, it's nothing you did. I've just been…preoccupied," Jade responded hesitantly. She leaned on her right leg, arms at her sides, and looked away.

"What's wrong?" Tori asked her, voice softening. Jade closed her eyes at the sincere concern she heard. Why did she have to do something so stupid like falling for her enemy?

"I-I want to tell you, but…" she began. Tori put a hand on her hip and cocked it, her slender frame drawing Jade's eyes to the movement when they opened. She shook her head to rid herself of any distracting thoughts.

"But, what?" Tori questioned her.

"Can we meet up tomorrow night? I'll tell you everything. I promise," Jade replied, hoping she would accept. Tori stared at her a moment longer and then nodded.

"Ok, where?" she asked.

"The roof," Jade answered quickly.

"The roof? As in the top of this building?" she remarked, making sure that it was indeed what Jade said.

"Yeah, or do you not know how to get up there?" Jade challenged playfully, her voice dipping without her consent. Tori grinned and took a step closer, looking to wipe the smirk off Jade's face.

"Oh, I know how to get up there all right," she assured, pressing even closer to Jade. She still didn't know how Jade was able to get her angry one moment then relaxed the next but she didn't really mind.

"Good, then I'll see you there at eight. Don't be late," Jade teased, moving to walk away despite the crazy need to take Tori in her arms. Tori ruined her swift exit by snagging her by the lapels of her leather jacket and crushing their lips together before she had a chance to get away. Jade backed Tori into the brick wall behind them and devoured her mouth hungrily. She didn't know what she would do when the truth was finally out. She would definitely miss this. Tori's fingers buried in her raven locks and Jade's hands gripped at her waist possessively. Their lips and tongues carried on a few seconds more before Jade pulled away, breathless.

"You should get going before your sister catches us red handed," she panted. Tori shrugged and leaned in close enough for their noses to touch.

"Let her," she whispered, sending a shiver down Jade's spine. She let out an involuntary groan which Tori quickly swallowed with another kiss. The next time they parted Tori was the one to pull away. She caressed Jade's face, warmth in her brown eyes, and then walked away. Jade let her go without a word, taking the time to catch her breath. Being with Victoria Vega was like an adrenaline shot. She shook off her dazed expression and went inside where Andre and Robbie were jokingly harassing Trina who looked beyond wazzed.

"Jade, there you are! Tell these nuisances to get lost will you?" she addressed the unconcerned leader of the group.

"Why?" she questioned calmly, walking over to take a seat in Trina's chair and prop her boots on the desk. Trina frowned, pushed off her feet, and crossed her arms.

"Why not?" she retorted.

"Touché. I guess you win this round. Come on guys, leave the squawk box alone for today," Jade told them, gesturing for them to follow her. They snickered at Jade's comment while Trina stood there with an appalled expression. Jade walked backwards to aim a shrug at her, then continued upstairs. She burst into laughter with the guys the moment they were inside the door. That night Jade had a hard time sleeping. She had gotten too used to the routine she fell into and for once she wasn't looking forward to the thrill of a heist. It worried her. She didn't want to believe that the Inspector was to blame. She told herself it didn't mean anything, that she was using her, but she knew deep down that it was already too late. Being a thief herself she knew when something was stolen from her, but this time, she wasn't sure if she wanted it back. The next day brought last minute preparations. The gang was busy enough that time flew and Jade found herself perched on the edge of the roof waiting for Tori Vega to arrive. She looked out over the city and thought about their first stop on the list. Rodrick was a squat man located off the coast of a small town in Wales.

He grew up rich and well off, boring him enough to take up pirating. He grew addicted and began finding ways to cheat people out of their money. He owned his own island sized ship and mass produced boats filled with a crew that was guilty of sticky fingers. His men would return with whatever they pilfered and he would turn a pretty profit. He also held a clue to the location of the next member on the list. Where the police files held little information on them, Jade knew each member would have plenty of information on each other. The only reason they had a lead with this scumbag was the simple fact that everyone who ever wanted to sail for cheap knew Rodrick. Jade propped her chin in her hand, continuing to wait, when she heard footsteps. She perked up but remained seated. Tori's scent, warm with a hint of something sweet, drifted to her on the wind and she inhaled deeply. Tori herself took a seat next to Jade and didn't hesitate to intertwine their fingers. Jade looked down at their joined hands and then up at Tori.

"So you **do** know how to get up here," she observed with a small smile.

"I said I did, didn't I?" Tori replied confidently.

"Yeah, you did," Jade agreed with a nod, looking back at the city below.

"So where were you going?" Tori suddenly questioned. Jade almost snapped her neck with how quick she looked back at her.

"How did you know?" she asked, caught off guard.

"My father used to look the same way when he had to tell us he was being called away to help another department. He packed when we weren't around and had this sadly reluctant look in his eyes when he spent the last few days he had with us. You look just like him. Like you don't want to leave but you have a job to do," she explained, nostalgia and despondency coloring her voice. Jade squeezed Tori's hand and then used her free hand to gently turn Tori's face to hers.

"I am going away, but hopefully it won't be for long. I can't tell you where or why. I wish I could, but I can't. I just want to tell you that even though I have to go, I don't want to, because I'd rather stay here with you," she stated honestly. Tori's eyes softened and tears gathered. Her brows furrowed and then she looked away, pain in her features.

"Tori?" Jade questioned, concerned.

"God, I can't **do **this anymore. I can't let you go, pretending I don't know, and then have to do my own job. I just **can't**," she forced out through clenched teeth.

"What do you mean?" Jade asked, confused but paying close attention to the way her gut told her to stay alert.

"I can't believe I didn't just turn you in when I had the chance," Tori mumbled to herself, running a hand through her hair.

"You know who I am?" Jade exclaimed, jumping to her feet and backing away, ready to bolt. Tori got to her feet too.

"Yes. I've known for a while. Do you really think I'm too stupid to realize who you are just because you didn't have a piece of cloth covering your eyes? I would know those eyes anywhere. I would know that playful banter and quiet chuckle. I would know the way you look at me like you always have the upper hand, always so confident, but in the end I had the upper hand because I knew who you were and could have turned you in at any time. You couldn't hide from me even if you tried. I know you too well for that," she stated, her little speech doing things to Jade's heart that was painful, but in a good and bad way. Her mind raced, realizing how vulnerable she had been. Questions started pouring in and she voiced them.

"Why haven't you turned me in then? Was this agreed meeting some kind of trap? Are you here to turn me in now? Was it all a lie?" she demanded, clearly hurt.

"No!" Tori said with a shake of her head.

"Then why are you here?" Jade questioned. Tori shrugged and took a step closer. Jade leaned away but didn't move any more than that.

"I wanted to. I was hell bent on it actually, but when we spent time together and I got to know you, I-I don't know what happened. I didn't think about the obvious choice, that I had your real name and connected it with who you really are, that I could then finally turn you in. I would accomplish what no one could all because they hadn't gotten the opportunity I was given. But, I told myself to hold off. I figured that, if I got to know you better I could do some digging and find out more information on you. I did get information, but it wasn't the kind I was looking for," she explained.

"And what kind is that?" Jade asked, her voice strained with distrust.

"The kind that made me take a different interest in you. The kind that would shame my duties and get me in big trouble. The kind that proved I couldn't turn you in anymore," she confessed, her hands fidgeting with each other. Realization dawned on Jade and she looked to Tori with hope in her clear blue-green gaze.

"How can I trust you?" she asked, refusing to give in just yet. Tori slowly took a few steps more, placing a gentle hand on Jade's stomach.

"I would have already turned you in by now but I haven't," she answered. She reached up and carefully touched Jade's cheek. Jade leaned into it and brought her hand up to hold Tori's warm hand in place. She closed her eyes, perfectly shaped brows slanting down over her nose.

"I shouldn't," she muttered, her expression conflicted.

"I shouldn't either," Tori agreed but didn't move away.

"But you are," Jade said, opening her eyes to drown in Tori's brown orbs.

"So are you," she said in return. Jade let Tori's hand drop so that she could cup Tori's face in her hands.

"I know, but I already knew that for some time," Jade admitted, allowing a small smile.

"I did too," Tori admitted as well, twisting the front of Jade's open signature leather jacket in her fists. Jade let Tori tug her closer and then allowed her eyes to slide shut when Tori's lips graced hers. She kept a hand resting on Tori's jaw while the other found a place at her hip. She slipped around to press on the small of Tori's back after a few gentle kisses were exchanged. It brought Tori close enough to Jade that her senses were going haywire. She groaned into Jade's mouth and Jade rewarded her for the sound with her tongue snaking in. Tori's grip on Jade's jacket tightened as the kiss burned with passion. Tori pulled back to trail kisses across Jade's jaw and down her neck. Jade hummed her pleasure and nuzzled at Tori lovingly.

"What will you do when you go back?" she whispered, worried that Tori would lose the job she worked so hard for despite that job being to put her behind bars.

"I won't go back then," Tori replied simply, tilting her head so that Jade's tongue could taste the skin of her neck in a straight line that curved along her jaw before leaving her skin.

"But your father-" Jade breathed, only for Tori to kiss her into silence.

"My father would understand if he was still around," she said, her lips brushing Jade's with every word she said. Jade buried her head in the crook of Tori's neck, this time seeking comfort. She didn't want Tori to see the tears that welled up in her eyes. Tori didn't have to see them to know they were there because seconds later she felt them, warm on her shoulder. She held Jade to her, giving her the support she needed while Jade cried for the simple reason that she felt loved in a way she never thought she would, yet it came from someone that was a danger to everything she lived for. But also, this woman, this wonderful woman, would throw away her life's work so that she wouldn't lose the very person her life's work demanded be brought to justice. Tori understood so she stayed quiet and just rubbed Jade's back soothingly. The tough woman that she was and yet she had such a soft, sensitive side that Tori knew no one had fully seen yet. In that moment Jade let Tori see her true self, confident comebacks and an unbreakable smirk pushed aside.

"I think I love you, Vega," Jade mumbled against her skin, sending a shock through Tori with her words as well as the sensation it caused. She smiled and tightened her hold on Jade, unwilling to let her go the more time passed. Tori couldn't say she loved her back, but she was damn close enough as it was. Jade seemed to understand and didn't feel any less from Tori when the sentiment wasn't returned. Tori was grateful for that. The two spent the rest of their time lying next to each other and looking up at the stars. Jade pointed out all the constellations she knew of that they were able to see. It was hard to point them out in the middle of the city as most were washed out.

"One day we should go out to the mountains, just me and you, and go stargazing," Jade remarked, taking Tori's hand in hers and resting them on her stomach where her other hand rested over them. Tori smiled a small but appreciative smile.

"That sounds romantic," she replied with a sigh. Jade laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Sure. Me, romantic," she scoffed, her playful nature returning. Tori just shook her head with a fond smile.

"It's getting late. I need to get some sleep. We're heading out tomorrow night," Jade spoke carefully, still unsure about talking so openly with someone other than her fellow thieves concerning her lifestyle. Not to mention someone whose job it was to stop such activities.

"We-I…" Jade tried to begin, but stopped. Tori waited patiently, knowing it was hard for Jade. Finally, after a deep breath, she began again.

"Have you heard of the Talons?" Jade finally asked.

"Yes. They are a notorious gang of thieves that have done way worse than your band of merry men," Tori confirmed, throwing a joke in to lighten Jade's tension about the topic at hand. It worked, making Jade's stiff voice relax slightly.

"They were responsible for killing my parents. They've been in a feud with them for a long time, my father being a thief himself and his father before him, and so on," Jade explained.

"Fitting how you ended up doing what your father did, just as I did with my own father," Tori observed. Jade looked for a hint of disapproval but there was none hidden in Tori's words. She was only pointing out a simple fact.

"Yeah, well, I'm not sure if you cops ever noticed, but my family and I never steal just to be assholes or solely for personal gain. We don't steal from just anyone either. We mostly steal from other thieves to establish that we are the master thieves while at the same time taking from them what they have already taken from others," Jade clarified.

"Interesting, but no. We never saw it that way. You stole something from someone and it's our job to stop the crime," Tori responded.

"Figures, but this wasn't brought up to point fingers. What I'm trying to say is that my family was wronged by these people. In a cowardly way too, striking in their very home. I remember seeing it all from my hiding place. I was only eight. I never truly understood what it all meant until I found out on my own. I got the information I was looking for in those files I took and now I'm going to pay each and every one of them a visit," Jade said with an unwavering determination and certainty filled to the brink. Tori let the words bounce around in her head. The thief actually had a goal, one that even she had to admire. If she had information on the one who killed her father she wouldn't hesitate to seek them out. She sat up and looked down at Jade, trying to show her that she understood. Jade smiled and nodded.

"That's why I have to go," she concluded firmly, eyes settling on the faint stars above. Silence fell between them for a few minutes.

"Then I'll accept the new position," Tori told Jade. The master thief glanced at her before closing her eyes and nodding.

"Ok," she accepted quietly.

"But Jade…" Tori began, touching Jade's cheek to get her attention before continuing.

"Yeah?" Jade replied, opening her eyes.

"I'm done looking for Sly Cooper. I doubt anyone besides me can catch her anyway," she said with a playful grin. Jade laughed and wrapped her arms around Tori so that she could roll them over. She held herself up over Tori and then leaned in to brush noses with her.

"No, no one else can," Jade wholeheartedly agreed. She kissed Tori's temple and then brought her mouth to her ear.

"Thank you," she whispered. Tori slipped her arms around Jade and gazed into her eyes. She was a beautiful person, inside and out. Jade studied Tori in return, wondering how she was so lucky to find someone like her, and in the most unlikely place.

"I'd stupidly do anything for you," Tori grumbled, faking a pout.

"Why is that stupid?" Jade asked, knowing she was only joking.

"Because, what cop would fall for a criminal?" she pointed out.

"You, duh," Jade answered like she really was stupid. Tori growled and rolled them over so Jade was now under her. She pressed her hand into Jade's shoulders so she stayed down and used her strong legs to pin down Jade's body.

"I also think it's a stupid idea to cross me," she advised. Jade smirked, placing her hands on Tori's thighs, dragging them downward ever so slowly before traveling back up. Tori bit her lip, unknowingly driving Jade crazy.

"Don't I know it," Jade responded, her voice husky. Tori's reaction to her voice was to shiver, something Jade didn't miss. Tori slid her body down Jade's so that her lips could drop kisses along Jade's neck. The feeling of their bodies in contact added to the tender kisses coaxed a moan from deep in Jade's throat. It was Tori's turn to smirk as she kissed Jade's shoulder then pushed the collar of her jacket and shirt aside to start nipping at her porcelain skin. Jade gripped at Tori's hips, fighting the urge to press up into her body. Tori chuckled then bit down into Jade's smooth skin, gentle but still with enough pressure to make Jade squirm. It was bound to sport a blemish now with the way Tori's mouth began to suck at the sensitive skin. Jade pulled in a sharp breath, eyes squeezed closed, while she fought back the waves of arousal Tori awakened in her. She almost lost it right then and there. Her hands slid slowly over Tori's back, up and down, almost like an anxious twitch. It was really a way for Jade to stave off the need building in her. She couldn't bring herself to go that far yet. Not until after she finished her mission. She knew she wouldn't put her all towards the mission if all she could think about was the gorgeous woman on top of her right now.

"Tori…" she moaned, her left hand drifting higher than she meant to while the other moved down to grip Tori's hip. Tori deemed her mark satisfactory and then pulled back to look Jade directly in the eyes.

"Just giving you a going away present so you don't forget me," she said with a heated grin.

"I would never forget you," Jade replied truthfully. Her hand ran back up, stopping under Tori's bra and eliciting a gasp from her lips. Jade's gaze turned intense while her hand came down then back up, higher than before. Tori found herself arching into Jade's addicting touch. Sure, Jade wasn't going to go too far, but she still wanted to get back at Tori for getting her worked up while Tori remained so calm and collected. It was about time to change that. Both of her hands settled at Tori's hips now, her nails digging in ever so slightly. Her stormy eyes locked with Tori's darkened ones, a challenge written there. Jade accepted by grabbing Tori's behind in her hands and rolling her hips, bringing direct friction to the sensitive spot between Tori's legs. She moaned at the action and rocked back into Jade sinfully. Jade held back her own pleased moan, trying not to give in fully. It was like trying the most addictive drug in the world but being told that it could only be tried once. She wanted more so badly and by the look Tori was giving her, she wanted more too.

"Jade," she spoke softly, stoking the flames within her again.

"I can't," Jade denied, her tone almost painful with want. Tori shook her head, gripped Jade's shoulders for leverage, and brought her hips down again to meet Jade's wired body. She did moan this time, unable to hold it in.

"You mean you shouldn't," Tori corrected her.

"I shouldn't," Jade repeated, gripping Tori by the back of her neck to pull her closer so that her mouth could taste the tan skin. She bit and sucked, loving the sounds Tori made in response.

"But you can," Tori groaned while Jade left her own mark. She shoved Tori over at those words and trapped her under her body which rippled with desire and lust. She brushed aside a strand of brown hair and then rested her hand on Tori's cheek.

"Does a lowly raccoon deserve a beautiful fox?" Jade wondered tauntingly with a small smile, dragging her finger down Tori's pulse point.

"We both have the potential to stray from our rightful paths, ringtail. If we work together, I'm sure we can find a path worth sharing," Tori responded, her words meaning more than they did at face value. Jade nodded and then brought her lips to Tori's. Their bodies fit together so easily and Jade growled low in her throat when Tori's hands moved to slip under the back of her shirt. Her caress left trails of fire over her skin. Tori let herself melt into Jade who parted from her to travel back down her neck. A nip to a sweet spot had Tori arching into Jade. She instinctively pressed back into Tori which then made her fingers clench and drag down Jade's pale back. She hissed at the pain, biting harder into Tori. Jade forced herself to stop before they could get too carried away. Her grip on Jade relaxed so that her hands rested at the small of Jade's back instead. Jade's warmth settled around her, comforting in the best way. A tender kiss pressed to her neck, under her jaw, and then on her lips.

"Affectionate. I like it," Tori approved. Jade just smiled happily and relaxed into Tori's embrace. They didn't plan on going anywhere anytime soon so they almost slept the night away up on the roof, too comfortable to move, but Jade remembered how busy she would be tomorrow and mentioned how it wouldn't help being sore from sleeping on a hard surface. Neither wanted to part, but with one last kiss and an exchange of loving words, they did so. Jade returned inside feeling a clash of warring emotions. She didn't dwell on them and instead focused on getting a good sleep with the time she had left. She fell into bed and knocked out, snoring heavily for the first time in a very long time.


	5. Tide of Terror

**I've been having some trouble ****getting words to transition from my thought process. I'm in no short supply of ideas but for some reason it isn't agreeing with me. I started a one shot I've been working on twice, TWICE, before deleting it and starting for the third time. It's all down now but its of course another hella long one. I'm wondering, should I chop it up (making it a multi-chapter) so it isn't too much or leave it how it is? It'd be helpful if I got some feedback on that because lately my brain doesn't seem to want to work properly. Anyway, that's what's going on. I Hope this doesn't get affected by my lazy brain. Enjoy!**

* * *

Jade woke up to the sound of muffled laughter, like someone was trying to suppress their snickers behind their hand but failed epically. She groaned and mentally rolled her eyes, knowing who was laughing at her expense and why. Without opening her eyes she rolled off her pillow, chucked it at the laughing annoyance, earning an indignant shout, and then prepared to go back to sleep. She was still too tired to get up just yet but fate was not on her side that day.

"Wow, I haven't heard you snore that loud in a long time. Maybe if you didn't sneak off for a wild night out you wouldn't be so tired right now," Andre jested, a finger jabbing unkindly at the prominent mark on Jade's shoulder where her shirt was pulled down in her sleep, exposing it. She flinched and growled at the sharp but minor pain and swatted at his hand but missed in her drowsiness.

"I didn't sneak. I can go wherever I want to. Now go away," Jade grumbled tiredly.

"So you don't deny enjoying a sexcapade?" he prodded.

"Leave me alone, you perv," Jade responded, still motionless.

"I'm not perverted. But seriously, can you blame me?" he countered playfully, shaking her by the shoulder.

"No. I'm hot. How could I?" she finally answered with a hint of playfulness too. Andre grinned, happy to bring her out of her grumpy mood yet again.

"But seriously, no more sexy times in the middle of the night. I'm sure Tori needs the sleep too you know," he pointed out. Jade pushed off the bed to look at him with her brows drawn down.

"Who said anything about Vega?" she demanded, a blatant cover up to Andre who knew her enough to notice it.

"Dude, you mentioned something about disliking hickeys because it's close to being marked like territory or like a possession. You said you would never let anyone do that to you unless you actually cared for the person. That only leaves her," he deduced.

"When did you get so smart?" Jade wondered with a stretch, followed by a sigh.

"Hey, I listen to you," he replied, faking indignation.

"Oh really? I thought you suffered from 'male deafness'. You know, 'being unable to hear a woman nagging'," she shot at him, quoting his very words.

"I was just joking with you that time, I swear. I really do listen. You're like a sister to me, Jade. You always will be," he amended. She relented with a small smile and rolled over on her back, wincing when the scratches stung. Andre caught sight of her expression and crossed his arms.

"So, uh, I take it she's rough," he guessed, an eyebrow raised. Jade chuckled but nodded.

"A little, but just enough for me," she confirmed.

"You masochist," he accused teasingly, poking at the mark again. Jade flinched away and swung at him again, hitting him this time now that she was fully awake. She rolled out of bed before he could continue and pulled off her shirt to exchange it for a new one. She didn't mind Andre in the room and he would be unaffected by her state of undress too if it wasn't for the marks down her back.

"Dang girl," he exclaimed, poking at her back now. The red stood out thanks to her pale skin. She rolled her eyes and tossed aside her shirt.

"Yes, I know. Moving on. Do we have everything we need?" she asked him.

"Yeah. Gear is packed, plans stashed, and extra supplies loaded up. I think we have some time to shop for food on-the-go before we head out," he suggested after confirming her question.

"Good. Food actually sounds great right now," Jade remarked.

"That's 'cos you have no energy left after your wild night-ow! Ok, I'll stop," he submitted after a punch in the arm from Jade. She then gathered a new change of clothes and disappeared into the bathroom for a shower. By the time she was out, dressed, and ready to go it was later than they hoped to leave but not by much. They all headed downstairs and straight for the back door.

"Jade?" Tori's voice suddenly called, stopping Jade in her tracks. Andre looked at her with a knowing smile and waited.

"Go ahead. We'll wait," he told her with a nudge. She nodded and moved to talk to Tori but she met Jade halfway.

"Be careful out there and come back in one piece, ok? I don't want you to get burned by fire or lasers, shot at by darts, or something crazier like getting crushed under a giant hammer," Tori half teased and half cautioned. Jade took her hand and pulled her closer.

"I'll be fine. I'll be sure not to run into any of those things. Besides, I have a reputation to uphold," Jade responded with a smile.

"Still, this isn't some video game. You only have one life," Tori reminded her, a hint to the source of the name she had taken.

"Of course, but a very lucky charm will keep me out of danger," Jade countered, retrieving an item off her belt and raising her hand to twirl the horse shoe around her finger. Tori sighed but offered her a smile.

"Take care," she said with a nod. Jade hooked the lucky charm back where it belonged until it would be placed on her backpack, nodded an affirmative, and kissed Tori's cheek.

"You too," she replied. She stepped back, took in Tori one last time, and then turned away. She quickly hopped in the back of the van and it took off as soon as the doors were closed.

"You and the Inspector, huh?" Robbie spoke up from his seat up front. Jade shot a look at Andre who raised a hand defensively.

"Hey, I didn't have to say nothin'," he pointed out. Jade sighed, ran a hand through her hair, and then nodded.

"Yeah," she answered with a single nod.

"I heard she's joining up with another department. Jade, if she gets assigned to our case then what will you do?" he wondered. Jade shook her head.

"She won't. They won't have her bring me in since her record proved she can't and she already told me she won't ask to take our case. She wouldn't lie," she explained sternly.

"Are you sure?" he questioned. Jade remained silent, thinking back to the quiet words between them last night. She believed Tori was telling the truth.

"Yes," she answered with confidence. Robbie exchanged a look with Andre but shrugged and turned to his maps. Jade sat in the back, twirling her cane in her hand and trying but ultimately failing to keep her uncertainty at bay. The drive was a long one full of multiple stops. When their supply of food ran out the stops happened more often. Jade brushed up a little more on their target. He was in the shipping business but used his mechanical skills to gain more money than he gave. He fell into thieving and never climbed back out. His mad scientist tendencies gave him the role as lead mechanic for the Talons. After long days of travel and studying the gang made it to their destination; a place that was a dark, damp, rainy landscape with the sea surrounding it. Andre drove around a huge rock and pulled up on a bridge where he parked. Jade was busy putting on her disguise. She pulled on her gloves to finish the effect and was ready to scout ahead.

"Ok, here I go. As always I'll let you guys know what I find, and Robbie, quick information is a must. Thanks pal," Jade said with a tip of her cap. She pushed open the doors, hopped out, and ran forward to stop at a sign that read 'Keep Out'.

"Even the back way is heavily guarded," she joked to herself, smashing the sign to pieces with her cane before entering the rocky tunnel and moving on. She came out the other side, glared up at the sky already soaking her, and pulled out her binoculars to assess the road ahead. Static signaled a call coming in.

"_Hey Sly, I just spotted something that's going to complicate the mission."_

Jade rolled her eyes at the sound of Robbie's voice telling her that there was already a problem.

"_See that nasty looking gate? It blocks the only road to Rodrick's hideout."_

"You forget that I rarely use the obvious way in," Jade replied with a hint of agitation.

"_You could use that ladder over there by the lighthouse and hop over."_

"Yeah, yeah. I already saw it. The gate isn't a problem. I live for this stuff, remember?" she remarked.

"_That's what worries me."_

"Don't kill the fun, Bentley," Jade told him, putting away her binoculars to slide down the slick hill she was on and make a running jump onto the ladder. She made her way over the boards, hopped the fence, and landed on the other side silently.

"_Hold on, Sly. See those searchlights up ahead?"_

Jade sighed but took out her binoculars to see what he was pointing out.

"_One careless step and you'll be subjected to acute combustion!"_

She zeroed in on the small but noticeable lasers mounted right under the lights.

"I'm hot but I don't wanna be that hot. Whatever, are you done whining? Let's go!" Jade snapped at him.

"_I'm just trying to keep you alive, 'partner'."_

"And you've done a splendid job so far," Jade said, putting away the binoculars and moving forward again. She easily maneuvered past the lights but skid to a stop when a tall, burly guard in a leather jacket blocked her way forward. He caught sight of her and instantly chucked a throwing star at her. She jumped it and ran straight for him. He kept launching the projectiles but every single one of them missed. Now that she was close enough she hooked his neck with her cane and used her whole body to slam him head first into the ground, knocking him out cold. She continued up the incline to stop again for what she was sure was a friendly message from the worry wart of the team.

"_According to my scanners that big blimp is where Rodrick is hiding out."_

"You know, that blimp looks more like a time machine than a hideout," Jade commented, zooming in on the blimp with her binoculars.

_"You're right. That's a storm machine. It's the reason why it never stops raining around here."_

"That explains all the wrecked ships," she observed, looking to the water below to see debris floating by.

"_But why would Rodrick want bad weather at his hideout twenty-four seven?"_

"More schemes? Beats me, but rain or shine, I'm going to get back those pages and find the files on the next member. And if Rodrick gets in my way…it's on," she declared, stowing away the binoculars to keep moving forward. She crossed a shallow waterfall, hopping rocks to get across, and then came to a fast moving waterfall that she had no choice but to fight through. When she was out she cursed at the water flooding her boots, taking each one off to dump it, then adjusted her cap.

"Geez, I'll be lucky if I get there with a single dry spot on me," she grouched sarcastically, stopping again to look around. Static told her Robbie was going to intervene again but she quickly jumped for the hanging branch she spotted, hooked her cane on it, and used the momentum to swing herself over the high gate to the other side. Sometimes she wondered if she should just turn off the small camera she had pinned to her collar.

"_How'd you know?"_

"It's obvious," she replied with a shrug. She swiftly ran over the moving water wheels, traversing the ones with pieces of wood between them that made them slightly more annoying than they already were. She managed it and came to solid ground complete with searchlights and another throwing star guard.

"Really? They seriously don't think this will keep me out do they?" she spoke aloud. She dodged the beams, knocked out the guard, hopped more wheels, and then finally came to a cave blocked off by a fence. With the right force she broke the lock, pushed the fence aside, and entered, hoping it led right where she needed to go. Crawling out of the dark cave and back outside, Jade pulled herself up a high ledge to stand and look out at the personal island of her first target. Now that she had a better picture of it she realized it really was an island sized ship.

"Holy sh-" she began, but static cut her off.

"_Don't finish that."_

"What? I was going to say 'ship'," she teased.

"_Sure."_

"That blimp looks like the most secured location. If he's smart then that's definitely where I'll find him," Jade observed, looking at the blimp with her binoculars.

"_Wonderful idea, but your plan is flawed."_

"Why do you say that?" Jade asked, scanning the boat.

"_Because it's impossible to get near him. To access the blimp, you would have to get through that high voltage power tube. To do that without getting electrocuted, you'd have to destroy that power generator. And to do that, you have to pickpocket a few guards."_

"Interesting. So when are you going to get to the impossible part?" Jade wondered, only slightly teasing.

"_Ok, fine! But I warned you!"_

"I know. Call in when I get on the other side of that tube," she responded. She jumped to the hook ahead, rode it down to the water below, and expertly jumped across floating debris to the huge ship where she climbed aboard using some rope leading to a life boat next to it. At the top she took a quick look around, taking note of the guards prowling the area. A stealthy jaunt past each and she had the keys needed to get into the generator. She used them, threw open the fence, and took care of it the old fashioned way. She struck it with her cane, totaling it, and allowing her to pass through the tube unharmed. She smirked when the static returned.

"You were saying?" she questioned cockily.

"_Whatever. I've got a real test for you."_

"Shoot," Jade accepted in return.

"_There's only one way to Rodrick and you might get mauled in the process."_

"You're not going to tell me I have to shoot myself out of that cannon are you?" she guessed, looking at the iron weapon.

"_I'm afraid that's the only way."_

"Now you're talking! I haven't done anything like that yet!" she stated excitedly.

"_You're really scaring me now."_

"It's what I do best," she said with a shrug.

"_Anyway, pick a few more pockets and you're good to go."_

"Great, then what are we waiting for?" she responded.

"_Hopefully not your funeral."_

Jade laughed and hunted down the guards, only narrowly missing getting shot at and falling off a thin walkway into possibly shark infested waters. She returned to the cannon, unlocked the mechanism keeping it from being used, and positioned it so that it aimed right at the blimp.

"Ok, here goes nothing," she muttered. She set up the fuse, slipped in with a sheet of metal to brace her feet on, and waited for the huge force that would propel her forward. Before she could blink a deafening bang went off and she was flying through the air. She pushed herself forward and prepared her cane, spinning it in front of her just as she made contact with the glass window of the blimp. She hit the floor rolling but quickly popped back onto her feet. She hissed at a shard that had cut her shoulder but brushed it off because her target was in sight, sitting on a throne with a big 'R' on it. He was a short man with a big jowl and round body. He was dressed up fancy with white gloves, a purple suit, and shined shoes. A tall, crooked top hat perched on his head. Jade likened him to a frog. It was a perfect match to the surrounding weather.

"How delightful. We have a guest. The only thing is…I hate unexpected guests!" the slime ball screamed angrily.

"Listen Rodrick, you have information I want along with property of mine you stole. Until I get it, expect me to stick around," Jade told him, swinging her cane up to rest on her shoulder.

"Ohhh, you must be the Cooper child I've heard so much about. How sloppy of me not to finish the job. Obviously, we should have snuffed you out as well. So, without further ado, let me make amends to that," he growled.

"Bring it on," Jade agreed, expression fierce. He hit a button on the chair and the floor began to shift. Jade slid to the side, almost falling in the water that appeared when the floor dropped away. It wasn't like she couldn't swim so that didn't bother her, but it was what was swimming in the water that did. She wasn't looking to be shark bait so she jumped to a floating platform nearby. When she landed it moved under her feet, unstable. She fumbled but caught herself, a hand pressed to the surface so that she was forced to hunch over for balance.

"Doesn't look like you have sea legs, girl," Rodrick taunted. Jade scowled and began jumping the platforms to get to him. She was stopped in her tracks by a press of another button which began to randomly drop different platforms, blinking lights being the only warning before they disappeared.

"Shit," she cursed, trying to find a pattern. She almost didn't make a jump but she caught on to the pattern easily enough. Rodrick changed it up, seeing that she was gaining on him again. Lasers shot across the room, forcing Jade to jump more often. A careless slip on the water coating a freshly surfaced platform made her fall on her back, barely missing a laser that shot by. She scrambled to her feet and leaped for the support beam in the middle of the room. She grit her teeth and pulled herself up but a laser cut by too close for comfort, burning a line across her back. She slipped but forced herself to keep going. Now that she was above the death trap below she set her glare on the fat man now panicking on his throne.

"Anything else, frog?" she taunted him with a smirk. He screamed and tried to abandon ship but Jade chucked her cane at him, her aim successfully hitting his head. He fell, his dazed form slumping over the controls which disabled them and gave Jade enough time to cross below and climb back up to the platform he sat at. She stood over him as he cringed away from her.

"Where is it?!" she demanded, grabbing his suit in one hand while arming herself with her cane in the other.

"It's in a compartment under the chair!" he whimpered, hitching a thumb behind him. Jade looked up to confirm his claim.

"You may have gotten the best of me but you'll meet your end soon enough," he seethed. Jade knocked him out, threw him aside, and headed for the large chair.

"_Sly, hurry it up in there! My scanners indicate that the cops are heading your way!"_

"Cops? How did they know?" she asked him.

"_I don't know but just hurry!"_

Jade rushed over and knelt in front of the chair. She input the code Robbie provided for her and pulled open the bottom. She grabbed a handful of the currency she found and shoved it in her backpack but kept the papers in hand. She set up her calling card then turned to leave, stopping when someone walked over.

"Cooper," Inspector Vega greeted, her usual frown gone from her face to be replaced by a small smile. She holstered her gun and crossed her arms.

"At it again?" she questioned the thief lightly.

"I could say the same thing about you," Jade replied just as casually.

"After I joined the new department I thought it would be helpful to take on putting away the Talons," she shared.

"Lovely. So you're here to help?" Jade replied with a tilt of her head and a smirk on her lips.

"If you need it," the Inspector answered.

"Much appreciated, Inspector Fox," the thief said with a nod.

"So, what did you find?" Tori inquired with a smile at the nickname, moving to take a look at the files.

"Looks like some deals and a location to the next member, Maverick. Hey, what's this?" Jade wondered, her curiosity rising when she came across what looked like torn out pages to a book. They held detailed information on master thief skills. It was the pages she was looking for. Another piece of worn paper had a coded message she wasn't sure about. She removed them from the Inspector's eyes but she looked to Jade with understanding. She wasn't comfortable with her former enemy seeing something like that yet. Instead, she turned the conversation to the next member Jade had to find.

"Maverick, that's the former mafia boss who owns his own casino now. He obviously hasn't given up his life of crime," the allied inspector commented.

"Looks like I'm headed for Utah," Jade remarked, leafing to a paper that held the location.

"Good luck. I'll cover you for your getaway," Tori offered. Jade shot her a smirk and accompanied it with a quick kiss.

"Thanks. See you there?" she asked, already looking for a way out after putting away the documents.

"You can count on it," Tori said with a wave. Jade gave her a wink, a tip of her cap, and then disappeared. With Robbie's help she escaped the blimp. Cops had swarmed the area outside but she just had to stay down until Inspector Vega showed up to direct them all towards Rodrick's lair, leaving a clear path for Jade to make a run for it. She retraced her steps back to the van and jumped in. Andre hit the gas and they were off.


	6. Sunset Snake Eyes

**One of the rare moments I have nothing to say...**

* * *

Jade's first line of business involved allowing Robbie to patch her up. With that out of the way she shared the information she retrieved with her fellow thieves, giving Andre the directions and locations so that they could plan the next travel location. They headed home for now while they learned a little bit about what they would be up against. The security was described as being so high a snake wouldn't be able to slither inside without setting off alarms. It was a good thing Jade was much quieter than a snake. On their way they came across a newspaper stand during a pit stop to eat. Jade laughed at the headline and picture, showing the guys who laughed too.

"'Hot chick with gun busts scheming boat salesman!' Heh, they got that right," Jade read, commenting on the title while her eyes stayed glued to the picture of Inspector Vega who held Rodrick by the back of his suit and her gun in the other hand. At least now no one was in danger of boat mishaps and misfortunes with him out of the way. With his machine gone, no one had to constantly look for a boat to buy, which would have brought them to him, but were now free to purchase a boat that actually floated and wasn't filled with crew likely to steal from them rather than help.

"You're too much," Andre told her with a shake of his head.

"I know," she replied with a smile, rolling up the newspaper to tuck it under her arm. She didn't miss the article below Tori's capture. She eluded the authorities once again but this time it was a sure thing. With the Inspector on her side she could get out of every single member's hideout without worry, giving her more time to search for the next one. Maybe falling for a cop wasn't such a bad thing.

"Hey, Sly? Are you sure Inspector Vega is on our side? I mean, what if she-" Robbie began, but Jade stood, cutting him off.

"She wouldn't have let me go if she wasn't, Bentley," she dismissed. She jumped into the front seat of the van and pulled out the files to go over the torn out pages again. They were master thief skills that obviously belonged to her family's book. She practiced the new move any time she could while they were on the road. The other paper with codes was given to Robbie who came to the conclusion that, when decoded, required more to make sense of it. Jade hoped each member could provide more answers. When Andre and Robbie felt she had enough time to herself they piled in and returned to their alternate hideout. It really wasn't anything more than an abandoned train cart on a no longer used train track outside of town. There they went over their plans for the next heist. Robbie set up informational maps on the walls for each member. Rodrick's was all filled out and the blank map next to his was the next destination.

It was Maverick's domain, the map only somewhat completed with what they already knew about him. When they were ready they hit the road for Utah. Getting there didn't take as long as the days it took to reach their previous destination. This time they had a way shorter distance but in that time Jade did her research. As a kid, Maverick was teased and pushed around. He grew up watching mafia films, like The Godfather, and wanted to be tough like them. He quickly beefed up and staked a claim, growing up into a man who people learned to fear. He gained his own gambling empire at the height of control and took over. He was the brute squad all in one for the Talons. He sounded like someone Jade could easily outsmart even if he was a colossus. The gang arrived early morning when the sun was high in the sky. Andre took the van over a dusty trail, winding up, and then stopped at a rocky bridge.

"I think we have a horrible tendency to arrive in places at the height of their bad weather, don't you?" Jade questioned, not liking the look of the heat outside. Her pale skin did not comply with the sun for obvious reasons and because of that she hated the sun.

"Well, at least you won't be soaked to the bone this time," Andre replied with a jovial smile he knew would irritate her more than she already was. She glared at him and jumped out of the van. She blocked the sun from her vision by tugging her cap down a little then started a no doubt tiring journey towards the city. She knew it by the already abnormally tall gate in her way topped with a flashing sign of the city's name. She made sure to smash another sign that did nothing to keep her out before locating a pipe she could shimmy up to a platform above.

"I thought this place was going to be a lively light show full of gambling fun and booze," Jade remarked as she looked out over the desolate landscape.

"_It's a dead town is what it is. Where is everyone?"_

"I don't know, but at least that skill I learned from those torn out pages will help here," Jade replied, seeing the pointed objects she could balance on.

"_Please don't kill yourself attempting that. You'll fall a lot farther than you have when you practiced."_

"You have no faith in me. And I never fell," she disagreed.

"_Sure, because you caught yourself on your back."_

"Shut up," Jade grumbled, irritated by his sarcasm. She put away the binoculars she habitually pulled out to scan the area and then leaped to the lights strung up ahead. She positioned her feet just right to land with feather light grace. The line wobbled but held strong. She smirked and then jumped again, repeating the agile hop until she was safely on the other side. She had to do it again to get past the guard boozing it up below. A club sat next to him, ready for use. He was a muscly dude and Jade had a feeling there would be more like him. She'd even bet, with a name like Maverick, that her target would be even more ripped than his grunts. She landed on the other side of the wall of rocks to come face to face with a big bulldog chomping on a bone. Its ears perked when it saw her and immediately charged while barking madly. She jumped over and ran for it, not stopping until she looked back to see it nearly choke itself when it couldn't go any farther than the chain allowed. Jade burst out laughing.

"Stupid dog," she muttered. She passed a flooded hole, which was more like a mini lake, to her left on her way up a slope. When she sped up to vault over the fences ahead she had to hastily put on the brakes as a thug wielding a club burst through, sending her flying. She hit the dusty ground, set her cap back on her head, and then got to her feet. She dusted off her clothes and squared off with the man.

"Hey meathead, crashing through fences won't score you much points with me," she taunted. He charged, swinging clumsily but with strength. Jade didn't have much room to move so she took a chance and slid under his legs. When she came up on the other side, she hooked her cane around his neck and used her whole body to bring him down. He took a tumble, hit the edge of the walkway, and fell off the side. Jade spun her cane, caught it, then carried on back up the slope to jump onto an old magnet hooked up to a crane dangling between the broken road.

"Hey, what's with those flashing lights?" she wondered, patching in to Robbie when she saw what lied ahead. She pulled out her binoculars once again to get a better look. His static answer came through quickly.

"_The latest in high tech security. Looks like electronic floor sensors. Step on them and you're a goner."_

"Nice," she replied, not meaning it at all.

"_They're safe to walk on when they flash but keep in mind that it means they're about to switch to a different sector."_

"Well noted," she answered. She jumped to a broken down car hanging off the edge it sat on. It tilted dangerously, and if she hadn't jumped off when she did, she would have toppled over with it. It splashed into the water below and promptly sunk. She gave her heart a minute to settle before entering the downed subway car turned death trap. She reached the other side with no problem, smashing the security box at the end so that it would be deactivated. The danger wasn't over yet. She now had to dodge a swinging ball on a chain before it took off her head. The man wielding it looked ready to maim her.

"Damn, they do have more security here," she commented. The man swung on her again but she rolled out of the way. She slid under another blow and jumped up into an uppercut with her cane, striking the man hard enough to knock him over. She wasn't a heavy hitter and knew when she was outmatched so she kept running down the path, skidding to a stop when there was not one but two salivating bulldogs up ahead.

"It just keeps getting better," she groaned, bringing the attention of the raging canines to her. She advanced at an angle, hoping her long held belief that dogs didn't think before acting held true. The dogs both tried to rush her but at the angle she chose one crashed into the other which got angry. They turned on each other, giving Jade the opening she needed to run past them. Just as she thought.

"Suckers," she snickered. She was busy watching the fight while she ran forward so she didn't see the incoming attack until it was too late. Another thug stepped out from behind a fence and swung into her stomach with a club. The air was forced from her lungs and she fell into the dirt to cough and wheeze.

Ok, I deserved that one," she groaned in pain. The man picked her up by the back of her shirt and hit her again. She dropped to the ground on her knees, finding it hard to get up. She then fell forward into the dirt on her hands, breathing too hard to get to her feet again. The thug seemed to think so too because he walked away. She quickly forced herself up now that his back was turned and jumped him. He flailed, trying to get her off, but she had tucked the cane under his jaw so that it pressed into his throat. He ran around and attempted to swat at her but he couldn't reach. He soon tired out, losing oxygen, and collapsed. Jade pushed off him and propped herself on her cane. She held a hand to her side and winced.

"_Sly, are you ok?!"_

"I'm fine, just a little run in with a very sturdy bludgeoning device," she joked, gasping a second later when she took a deep breath.

"_You don't sound too good. I'll send Andre to come get you."_

"No! We can't stop now. I'll be fine," she disagreed.

"_Sly…"_

"I'm **fine**," she insisted. She heard him sigh but give in. She took a moment to pull up her shirt and inspect the damage. Her pale skin was already displaying a nasty bruise. Her breathing irritated the injury but she pressed on. She stopped at another subway car that branched off to the rest of the rusting vehicle. She could already see all the security it held inside. Had she not felt like crap she could have dodged it all with ease, but as it was, she couldn't. She eyed a stack of rocks and quickly climbed them onto the top of the subway. They crumbled under her weight, and she almost fell, but managed to pull herself up in time. She took a break to breathe and then jogged across the top, having to jump parts of it that bent and broke into the water below. She reached the end to find herself in a corroded metal tunnel full of holes. Water churned at the bottom. She didn't want to get wet or swept away who knew where so she executed a graceless leap over to a pipe running up along the cliff side, catching herself by hooking onto it with her cane. She got a good grip and then climbed up, back on solid ground. She caught herself on the jump off the pipe but stumbled and fell on her hands and knees. She looked up to see the padlocked pipe she needed to pass through to get into the city.

"Just my luck," she mumbled to herself. A lanky man stood guard, shuffling what looked like a deck of cards. Jade got to her feet and approached him with her cane on her shoulder.

"Who are you Mister Magician?" she taunted, kicking herself for being a smart ass more than usual. When she was tired or in a bad mood her internal thoughts became external statements. He looked at her, not at all amused, and began to rapidly flick the cards at her. Her reflexes told her to dodge, which she did, wondering if that was simply a distraction. Her cheek stung and she touched it, pulling back to find blood on her glove. The cards were as sharp as knives.

"Good trick," she told him, rolling out of the way of another barrage. She received more cuts to her forearm, leg, and side but put him down with a furious head butt when she was close enough. He fell to the ground like a rock, leaving Jade free to bust the lock. She pulled open the chute and jumped inside, happy that she was at least out of the sun for now. She followed the tunnel to come out on a beaten path along a cliff's edge. It led over a bridge to the city. Guards roamed the outside but Jade set her sights on the big building in the middle that towered over the rest.

"_This Maverick certainly isn't shy. That building has his name on it. Ok, so we know he's here somewhere but how are we supposed to find him?"_

"Given that's he owns a casino, it's only reasonable that he would be in that building you pointed out labeled 'Maverick's Casino'. Just a guess," she responded, eyeing the building through her binoculars.

"_That's some sound logic Sly."_

"Was that sarcasm?" she asked.

"_Possibly, but I sure as hell know __**you**__ were being sarcastic."_

"I always am," she replied with a shrug that was unseen by her brainy fellow thief.

"_You know what, forget it. Back to the heist at hand. The only way in is that door at the base. You'll need the key to get in."_

"Let me guess, more pick pocketing?" she asked him.

"_I wish. I managed to patch into their radio network and found out Maverick's right hand man has the key. You can find him in the racetrack to your left. Going up the ramp on your right will get you there."_

Jade looked over in the indicated direction to get a glimpse of cars driving past in the distance. She groaned and Robbie chuckled.

"We have to race don't we?" she said, knowing the answer.

"_Yep. He's the local racing champ. I bet if you could push him to include the key in the winnings we'll be set. His overconfidence will ensure he'll agree but there's a good chance he has a reason to be so confident."_

"Murray can beat him," Jade replied certainly. Static added to the static already in place and Jade knew it was Andre himself calling in.

"_Yeah, I can take him. Meet me down by the racetrack. I want you there with me in case we run into trouble."_

"No problem. See you there," Jade agreed. She put away the binoculars and ran up the ramp to the right that hooked back around to a suspended bridge. She crossed it, skirted a guard, slid over the hood of another broken down car, and spire jumped across a string of lights to cross the gap of the broken bridge. She jumped off on the other side to see another grunt with a ball and chain.

"Oh great," she complained, holding her side in memory of being clubbed. She took a deep breath and then ran forward only for Andre to show up, dressed in his light blue shirt, jeans, black mask, and yellow scarf. He came around the corner and grabbed the guy in a sleeper hold. He tossed him aside once he was out and met up with Jade, his grin falling flat at her appearance.

"Geez Sly, are you ok?" he asked her, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine. How did you get here?" she asked him.

"I took an alternate route. The tracker Bentley has on you isn't there for nothing. Your scouting really helps. Are you sure you're fine? You can't even stand up straight," he observed.

"Dammit Murray, hurry up and get in the van. We have a race to win," she urged, but her voice lacked strength. He nodded, worriedly glanced at her injuries once more, and then led her to the van. She jumped in and tried to buckle up but Robbie stopped her.

"Let me at least patch you up a little. You don't want to face Maverick like that," he pleaded. She sighed but got in the back. Andre pulled them into the starting gate after talking his way into the race. Maverick's right hand man himself came up to Andre, wanting to see the new racer and place their bets. Meanwhile, Jade listened while Robbie worked on making her more comfortable. When the race finally started it was a rush for Andre but passed in a blur for the other two thieves on the team.

They weren't car buffs and didn't really care. To them they just sped around the track a few times with the minor threat of toppling over, but it passed and they had the key plus more money in the end. Andre excitedly replayed the race while driving them to a safe place to let Jade out. She assured them that she felt better, thanked Robbie, and then took an alley way back into the city. She reached the door and slipped the key in but froze when headlights came on behind her. She turned just in time to throw herself out of the way of an incoming car. It crashed into the doors, sending wood flying. Jade stayed down, covering her head, but got to her feet as soon as she could. Two guards in black suits crawled out of the wreckage with guns in hand, searching for her.

"Oh shit, oh shit," she panted, clutching her cane close and scrambling for a hiding place in the shadows. They passed her hiding spot and she darted inside before they could make another sweep. A grand staircase met her inside. A thug with a club stood at the top and flashlights on the second floor told her more gun wielding guards were above. She hid behind the big counter to the left and stayed down.

"_Quick thinking."_

"I wouldn't have survived the first day of this lifestyle if I couldn't do that," Jade whispered.

"_That huge ugly bull dog head has an elevator inside the mouth. If you can get past the guards my money is on the elevator taking you up to Maverick's penthouse."_

"Was that supposed to be a gambling pun?" she wondered.

"_No, figure of speech. Why? Was it unintentionally good?"_

"No," Jade answered truthfully, bursting his hopeful bubble.

"_I'll call back once you're inside."_

Jade could hear his downtrodden tone but ignored it in favor of planning a way into the elevator. A distraction was her best bet. She jumped the counter and ran for a crashed clear cent symbol decoration that was supposed to be hung up with the rest. She hooked onto the wire and started to climb up. Her side protested but at the top she now had a better view of the room. There were three she had to distract in all. Two armed with guns and a club wielding muscle head. She moved to drop down on the thug and he cried out in shock. The two guards above came running but Jade was already on the move. She backtracked to climb up to her perch high above and jumped to the second floor. She tucked into a roll and pushed off the floor, breathing heavily but calling the elevator and getting inside. The doors shut just as the guards realized where she was.

They fired shots and a single bullet made it through the gap to graze Jade's left arm. They slammed into the door but she was already on her way up with quick presses of the button. She sucked in a breath and let it out, glancing down at her arm. She shoved the pain away and centered her thoughts on Maverick. The elevator opened and she took the short stairs down into a wide room. Maverick sat in a big chair for his big frame. If Jade thought the others were muscle heads then she wasn't prepared to see him. His top half was so ripped it made his legs look small. His black hair was slicked back and his thick brows and mustache were tamed in the same way too. He wore a white undershirt and pinstripe yellow pants. Twin guns were holstered at his waist. They were the perfect size for his big hands which were ringed with studded bands around his wrists.

"What?! My boys have been yapping about some big mysterious dude running around cracking skulls and, and **this **is it? You're the monkey wrench in my operation? Some scrawny rat with a stick. Wait a second…I've seen that before," Maverick grunted, glaring at her.

"Maybe when my father knocked your block off," she growled in return.

"Your father? Wow, you're that Cooper kid! You know, those pages we stole had a lot of nice pictures but **way **too many big words," he shared. So each member had their grimy paws on her property. She wouldn't rest until she got it all back.

"That doesn't surprise me. I guess you won't mind handing it over then?" she questioned.

"What, are you kidding? You break into my place, trash the joint, and have the gall to talk to me like you own the place? I feel transgressed and violated," he stated.

"Seems you do know some big words," she shot back. He growled and stood, his big frame towering over her as he stomped forward.

"Let's rock!" he challenged. He howled a war cry and shot into the air two times from each gun. The loud sound made Jade flinch but she stood her ground. A plan quickly formed in her mind as she scanned the area and then she darted for the floor length mirror to his left to execute it. She dodged a swipe from his fist and hooked her cane onto the edge of the mirror, turning it just so. She ran off again, determined to keep her distance. The sound of the guns loading with a click almost made her panic. She had never gone head to head with someone bearing such a deadly weapon before. She wasn't that idiotic, but this time she had to. Bullets flew past her and hit the ground at her feet, missing her to bury into or break objects around her. When he holstered them again she took the time to employ phase two.

She pulled the thick curtains away from the large window with a pass of her cane then ran right at the mafia king, flipping over him. She hoped he didn't shoot her on the spot when she landed. He didn't, instead he charged, just as she wanted him to. She moved and he followed, beady eyes set on her, until the light filtering in hit the mirror and blinded him when he was led in the right direction. He cried out in shock and Jade quickly climbed his chair. He opened his eyes to look for her and drew his guns when he finally spotted her through watering eyes. She leaped and he fired wildly, hitting the chandelier above with his crappy aim. It snapped and crashed on top of him, trapping him as well as immobilizing him. He groaned and pushed at the heavy wrought iron but he was stuck. Jade had landed badly, falling on her shoulder, and then tucked into a roll around her cane. She came to a sprawled out stop only to curl up on her side in intense pain. She had been hit.

"This is impossible! A little pipsqueak like you, beating a big strong bruiser like me? It ain't right!" Maverick griped from under the wreckage.

"Well, you better believe it because I did," Jade retorted, using the last of her energy in order to make sure he heard. Fire blazed in her abdomen and blood seeped through her fingers. She squeezed her eyes shut and fought off the exhaustion threatening to drag her under. She heard familiar voices but she couldn't accurately pinpoint any one voice out of all the noise. She fought harder but the pain was too much and she spiraled into darkness.

~S~S~S~S~

When Jade didn't respond to their many calls through the communicator, Andre and Robbie rushed to her aid. Andre bashed his way through any thug trying to stop them while Robbie shot sleep darts from a crossbow to take out anyone with a gun before they could shoot. They took the elevator up and ran out to see Maverick knocked out under a huge chandelier and Jade curled up nearby in a small but steadily growing puddle of blood.

"Sly!" Andre shouted, running over to fall next to her. She was still alive but she had already fallen unconscious. He pressed a hand to the wound and looked up at Robbie who ran over to them. Andre's gaze flicked to the entrance when Inspector Vega came in. He naturally grew worried but remembered her…relationship, with Jade. Robbie, however, panicked and acted before thinking. It was a good thing the Inspector had quick reflexes so she was able to dodged the dart he shot. Her automatic counterattack hit its mark. Robbie's paralyzed body fell over as he let out a squeak of mild pain.

"What happened?" Vega asked, taking in the scene.

"She took on Maverick and won but he got her," Andre answered.

"No, Cooper, you stupid idiot," she muttered, holstering her weapon. She knelt by Jade and brushed aside a lock of hair before taking in all the blood that stained her blue shirt.

"Get whatever you came for. Go quickly I'll keep an eye on her. When you get back I'll clear a path for you," she ordered. Andre shook Robbie until he was clear headed again and they ran off to interrogate Maverick for the files. He gave them up, they retrieved them, and then returned to the highly concerned inspector.

"You got it?" she asked them. They nodded and Robbie patted his backpack.

"You two aren't really in our files. They know she doesn't work alone but they don't know you by profile so they don't know you're with Cooper. Find disguises and get the hell out of here. I'll make sure she gets help," Tori told them.

"What? How can we trust you?" Robbie exclaimed, crossing his arms and waiting for Andre to agree with him. When he didn't, Robbie glanced at him in confusion.

"Ignore him. Please take care of her. Although, I don't think I have to tell you that," he replied. Tori nodded, took off Jade's backpack, and handed it to him. She removed Jade's belt, cap, gloves, and mask then held them out for Andre to take too. He stuffed them in the backpack and threw it over his shoulder. Robbie stood with his mouth hanging open but Andre grabbed him, picked up Jade's cane, and ran for the exit. Tori smiled with a shake of her head then returned her attention to Jade. With a tug she tore off the sleeves of Jade's shirt. A little reshaping of the makeup around Jade's eyes completed her new appearance. Now she looked like an innocent bystander. Tori balled up the torn sleeves and pressed them gently to Jade's wound. She called in an emergency and in no time the paramedics along with two officers were on their way to her location. Jade was taken away and Tori made sure the two disguised thieves knew what hospital she was taken to. She tried not to worry but it was useless.

"Who was the young woman?" one of the officers asked her while the other called in back up to help remove Maverick.

"An incredibly stupid civilian who tried to take on Maverick. She got him all right but paid a heavy price," Tori answered.

"Hmph, these criminals are nothing but killers. I hope she survives," he commented.

"Me too," Tori agreed solemnly.

"Did you hear that some thugs saw Cooper here?" he mentioned. Tori forced herself not to react.

"If that's some kind of joke I'm not laughing," she growled dangerously, covering her knowledge with faked anger.

"Sorry. I know how that turned out for you. I shouldn't have brought that up," he quickly apologized.

"Thank you. We've got Maverick so let's move out," she commanded. He nodded and began rounding up officers. She sighed and left before them, heading straight for the hospital.


	7. Vicious Voodoo

**It might take me some time getting the next chapter of this out as I've just gotten really busy and I don't really have a good grasp on the next three chapters I have worked out. I have other things to post though so those can be a distraction until I update this. For now, enjoy!**

* * *

Jade found her way back to reality but it felt like she was struggling to stay awake. Her vision was hazy but it cleared in a few seconds. She was laying in such a bright, white room. Everything had a sterile feel to it. It finally hit her that she was in the hospital. She gasped. The heist! Did they get the files? She cursed, mentally beating herself up for failing. How the hell did she get here? Someone must have found her. She tried to sit up but grunted and fell back, her hand going to a throbbing pain in her abdomen. She had been shot. Obviously she survived. She groaned and closed her eyes. The door opening made them fly back open. Two guys walked in, and despite the ridiculous disguises, she knew it was Andre and Robbie.

"Did you get it?" she rasped, unable to think about anything else.

"Just like you to ask that first. No 'What happened?' or 'How did I get here?' or-" Andre rambled.

"Did you get it or not? None of that matters and all this was for nothing if you didn't," she interrupted.

"Got it boss," Andre confirmed. Jade let out a relieved sigh.

"Good. So, what happened and how did I get here?" she asked cheekily.

"Dude, why didn't you guys let me in on the whole story of the Inspector snoodling going on? I would have been cool with it. I might have even trusted her more," Robbie spoke up.

"So I have Inspector Vega to thank?" Jade questioned.

"Yes you do," the Inspector herself answered as she walked in. Jade sat up straight at the sight of her, ignoring the pain the movement brought.

"Vega," she greeted.

"Jade," she returned with a soft smile. She stopped by the side of Jade's bed and brushed her cheek. Jade smiled and closed her eyes.

"You scared me. That stunt could have cost you. You're lucky the bullet cut through you cleanly and didn't hit anything too important. You were right to trust that horse shoe of yours," she remarked in a fond tone. Jade laughed and tugged Tori closer by the hand. She placed her free hand on Tori's defined cheek then lifted slightly to give her a kiss.

"Sorry. I'll try not to play ding dong ditch with Death again," she teased. Tori laughed and both Andre and Robbie watched in awe. They had never seen Tori acting any other way besides murderous or civil. With Jade the Inspector was a completely different person. Even Jade was different, and here they thought they knew every facet of their sister and leader.

"You better not. I managed to help your little band out of a pretty sticky situation while also managing to cart you off for professional medical attention. I had to alter your appearance a little and sign you in under a generic name, but you'll live," Tori explained.

"What would I do without you Vega?" Jade asked with a content grin. Tori grinned in return and kissed her forehead.

"Rest for now. You've been out a whole day. Get filled in and I'll keep the authorities off you. After all, we can just say I already questioned you about everything," Tori said with a shrug.

"Wow, what a woman," Robbie commented.

"She is," Jade agreed while Andre nodded along with them. Tori laughed and shook her head.

"I have to get going. I have major distracting to do. You know, if I don't see you the next time I come in here, I wouldn't be surprised. So just in case, don't over exert yourself and be careful sneaking off," she advised. She gave Jade one last smile and left the room.

"Did she basically give us the green light to get the heck out of here?" Robbie asked.

"Yep," Andre said with a nod. Jade threw aside the covers and gingerly pushed off the bed. She let Andre pick her up. They both scanned the hall outside before making a break for it. Robbie had already mapped the building so they could make a quick getaway. As soon as they were in the van they were gone. Jade got dressed in her civilian clothes and then Andre passed her the newest newspaper to see her fox standing over Maverick. The headline called her 'Hot Stuff' with a badge'. Jade had to agree once again. With Maverick gone the gambling empire her ran would fall and the city he governed would go back to simpler times. The gang headed straight for their alternate hideout for some well-deserved rest and relaxation while they planned out the next heist. Jade looked over the torn out pages and Robbie told her he already decoded more of the strange coded script. The next member of the Talons was open to them as soon as Jade recovered more of her strength. She started training for the next skill when she was able to move for a longer period of time without her injury bothering her. The rails in the area were perfect for that.

Two weeks later they were back on the road. Their new destination in Haiti would take them to the next member, Clove. She was an infamous voodoo priestess with a really bad temper brought on from a misunderstood childhood. To put it plainly, she was born into a family of mystics and other children thought she was scary. Jade found herself relating to her somewhat. The strange and unusual scared everyone off when she was young and her gothic habits through her teenage years didn't help. She had a temper but knew when and how to use it unlike their new target. She used her…gifts, to punish the world for fearing her as a child. Now that she joined the Talons she gave them the ability to break both the laws of man and nature. To Jade, that wasn't a power anyone deserved. The long wait to get back out on the field made her restless but eventually they rolled through the deepest reaches of the Haitian jungle, through a swamp that didn't allow the van to go any farther than it had. It was Jade's stop and she couldn't wait to get back on her feet. Andre parked and Jade prepared to get out.

"You're cool, right?" Andre asked her one last time. She rolled her eyes and adjusted her cap.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll let you know as soon as I feel like crap, how's that?" she told him.

"No you won't," he denied.

"Then don't bother asking," she responded, saluting him and then hopping out. Her boots met soft, squishy grass and she breathed in the humid air. Bugs chirped and Jade felt a little out of place in the swamp, so far removed from everything she knew. There was also a strange feeling that permeated the air. She never disqualified the existence of ghosts and the like so she was more interested than scared of the current mission. She jumped across the islands of ground not sunken in swamp water and came to a stop when static buzzed in her ear.

"What's up now?" she asked, knowing it was Robbie.

"_I really don't like being here. I think this is one mission you'll have to accomplish without me."_

Jade noted the fear in his voice and shook her head.

"Suck it up, Bentley. Don't be a wimp. We've got work to do. You've dealt with me so long I'm surprised you're backing out. You would think growing up with me would give you some immunity to this stuff. I mean, remember when that really old custodian at the orphanage died and I wanted to go in the room he died in to breathe in the fumes of his soul before twenty-four hours passed?" she recalled.

"_Yes, I remember that. It freaked me out. Ok then, I guess you have a point."_

"Of course I do," she responded. Her eyes landed on a smooth branch sticking out of the swampy water and jumped on it nimbly. The new skill she learned allowed her to traverse the branch with ease and jump off on the other side. Jade climbed a tree to reach a vine she spied weaving through the branches and hopped on the vine to slide to the next tree. She jumped off to land in a branch covered in moss. The tree shook from her landing, upsetting the giant spiders living above. Jade swatted them away with a swipe of her cane and grimaced.

"Aannd there's giant bugs. Great," she observed, leaping to the next moss covered branch. Another spider appeared and she was quick to squash it.

"Knowing this place, they're probably poisonous," she mumbled. She slid down another vine that took her back down to the squishy grass close to the swamp water. Jade followed the twisting piece of land but stopped in her tracks when she saw a giant mosquito buzzing lazily up ahead. She shuddered, always hating the little buggers. Now she had to deal with a big one. She took a step closer and it darted right for her. She jumped and struck down, smashing the bug into the ground. She stepped over it and continued forward to climb back into the trees. She walked across more vines, slid down another that looped a few times around a giant stump, and then came back around to deposit her inside the hollowed out middle. She meant to keep going but the tangle of vines and wood ahead came alive, yellow eyes on her.

"This must be when the voodoo comes in," she muttered. She swung at the creature, knocking its head off, but then both the head, propelled by vine like limbs, and body kept advancing on her. She smacked aside the head with a kick worthy of a professional soccer player and then rammed the body through the fragile dry vines behind it. It broke through and fell into the water below. Now that the way was clear Jade slid down another vine back to land. She came upon a wooden fence and climbed up on the ledge to shimmy across it to the opening she saw when she was on the ground. A light suddenly came down in front of her and she stopped. She heard a tired grumble and then the light lifted away. She quickly passed by and then hoisted herself up on the wooden gate's walkway. She cringed a little now that her injury finally made itself known again but she pushed on. She swiftly knocked the voodoo guard off the side of the gate and took out her binoculars to get a good look at the compound ahead.

"_That's Clove's lair."_

Jade lifted the binoculars to the decorated gate, locked of course.

"This is too easy," she said with a smirk.

"_Not so fast. See those purple candles scattered around the compound?"_

"Yeah, what about them?" Jade acknowledged.

"_My scanners are picking up paranormal readings from them. Bad mojo. The gate may be locked but it can easily be broken. The problem lies in the fact that it's guarded by some nasty spirits."_

"Are you kidding me?" Jade asked him, half interested and half agitated.

"_Nope. I'm serious. This is why I didn't want to be here. We aren't just dealing with solid, alive people. There are ghosts and creatures here."_

"Like that tree thing," Jade mentioned.

"_Yeah, and not to mention those guards can cast spells, if their shamanic staffs are any indication. I'm sure you don't want your head shrunk to the size of a pea."_

"No, I like it the way it is. I can easily sneak around them. I can take them out from behind if I have to," Jade reasoned.

"_Yeah, well, please be careful."_

"Got it," she said with a nod, putting the binoculars away and running part ways down the ramp towards the compound. She counted four guards pacing around. She waited for an opening and then silently took down the guard that just passed. The sound attracted two that were close by and Jade made herself scarce. She smashed every candle she found along the way, knocked out another guard and smashed the last candle, then walked up to the gate to break the lock. She raised her cane and brought it down but an unseen force pushed her back. She fell on her back and cursed out loud, biting her lip at the blow to her injured body.

"_You forgot a candle."_

"No shit Sherlock," she forced out.

"_Shut up Watson and get that candle."_

"You realize you only have the confidence to stand up to me when I can't readily hit you, right?" she told him while she snuck back to the last candle.

"_Yeah."_

He sounded put out but she didn't care. She snuffed out the last candle and backtracked to the gate. She broke the lock and slipped inside, shutting the gate behind her. Now that she was inside, Jade took the time to look around. She settled her eyes on a giant monument made of wood and vines resembling a crocodile head.

"_My scanner is maxing out on that structure."_

"A reading like that could only be coming off Clove herself," Jade responded, lowering her voice to a whisper when her senses warned her of potential guards in the area. The whole place put her on high alert. A cricket chirped and she ducked a little, looking in the direction it came from.

"_I think you're right, Sly. If you want a crack at her you're going to have to find a way inside that skull temple."_

"That's the plan," she said with a nod.

"_Got any ideas?"_

"Yeah, hold on. What's this?" she questioned, running from the cover of the shadows to stop at the top of a platform which was level with a gate.

"_That's an industrial strength voodoo gate. Clove must really be trying to keep something out._

Jade traced the serpentine decorations with her gaze and shook her head.

"Or maybe…she's trying to keep something **in**," she suggested. Robbie's trademark squeak made her roll her eyes.

"Wait, I think I have an idea," she told him, glancing over at a similar gate that was bigger and topped with a demonic face blocking a strange contraption on the other side.

"_Does it have to do with whatever this gate is hiding?"_

"You read my mind pal," she confirmed with a smile.

"_Oh, I wish I hadn't."_

"I think, if we can release this whatever-it-is maybe it can crash through that gate over there and we can see what that do-hickey is. Who knows, maybe it'll get us to Clove?" she explained.

"_I'm concerned with this idea but you probably knew that. Alright, since I'm fresh out of ideas we'll go with yours."_

"Then I'll talk to you when all goes according to plan…or when you feel the need to nag me again. Whichever comes first," she responded with a smirk he couldn't see but could detect in her voice.

"_Har, har. So funny. Just don't get eaten or something."_

"Yeah, well, whatever it is it probably wouldn't like me," Jade remarked.

"_Sly!"_

"**Ok**, I won't," she said, her gaze already looking for a way in. She climbed a vine and jumped off to walk on another. It took a sharp turn twice in a spiral then up and over the gate to drop her off on a mossy branch. She hooked her cane into gnarled branches and swung to the next moss covered branch. She slid down another vine at almost roller coaster speed and jumped off on solid ground. She cautiously advanced but stopped when the swamp water rolled as if a wave passed through. The water had no current so they should be still, yet it moved. Whatever lived below must have been big and it had no problem swimming.

She tiptoed forward and stopped to test for any more movement. There was none. She regulated her breathing and then began running across the branches ahead which buckled under her weight, threatening to snap, and added insult to injury by frequently surprising her with more giant spiders. She knocked them away before they got too close, reached land on the other side, hurried past two big hovering mosquitoes and then ran up a spiraling vine that wrapped around a wide tree. She had to constantly pry away candles that were stuck along the vine. At the top Jade wanted to scream her frustration. There was clearly a path she could use but it involved a lot of hook swings and branch balancing. Her side ached already.

"This can't stop me," she muttered to herself. She took a few deep breaths to relax but her meditation was interrupted by the sound of something sliding across the base of the tree below. She carefully moved to the edge and looked down but there was nothing but murky green water. She steeled herself and launched forward to swing across the first three branches. She dropped down on a mossy branch, smashing a spider against the tree trunk, and then swung across three more. She landed again, panting at the physical work out it gave her abdominal muscles. She held a hand over her still healing wound and stopped to catch her breath. She pushed on, sliding down a vine and back to ground level. She almost tripped when she made the transition from mobile to stationary.

"_Sly, take a breather. You're going to-oh no."_

"I'm going to what?" she snapped through her ragged breathing.

"_You're going to get eaten if you don't get moving!"_

"Why? What did your scanner pick up?" she demanded.

"_Something __**big**__, and it's heading your way!"_

"Dammit," she grumbled, jumping on a smooth branch sticking out of the water to run along it. She didn't feel comfortable being so close to the water. She was spending so much time watching the gently rolling muck around her that when two spiders dropped down from the branches above, she almost lost her balance. She knocked them aside and continued to the patch of ground ahead. Jade propped her tired frame against her cane before starting forward again at a loping jog.

"_Sly!"_

Robbie's sudden warning made Jade jump, alerting her to the sound of splashing water behind her. She glanced back to see a huge serpent rise out of the muck. Its red body patterned with yellow markings glinted with the water rolling off its smooth scales. Spines trailed down its back and fins adorned the side of its head. Keen yellow eyes trained on Jade. Its mouth opened to let out a deep hiss that reverberated through her and showed off deadly fangs.

"_Run!"_

Again, Robbie's urgency pushed her into action without another moment of hesitation. She darted to the slick branch ahead and ran as quickly as she could while balancing. In Jade's rush to find safety she acted on autopilot, sliding on vines, running along branches, swinging on some, anything to keep distance between her and the snapping snake beast. She ran along another long branch and leaped for a platform made of stone. The beast trailed behind her, chomping at the vines and branches she used to stay ahead of it. Its eyes locked on her. She thought it would strike but instead it slithered down into the water and Jade watched it go, the spiked tail the last thing she saw.

She let out a relieved breath that was cut off when the beast suddenly launched up with enough force to break apart the stone platform she stood on. Now in free fall after being tossed into the air Jade came back down, seeing the beast's fanged maw under her. She flipped out of the way in time as it snapped at her. She landed on its head and slid down its back, catching a spine with her cane and hanging on as it lunged forward with rage. It smashed through the gate, jarring Jade off it to hit the ground hard. The snake dipped into a pool of water and then back out to crash down the bigger gate and then sunk into the pool of watery muck under the contraption she had spotted earlier. She waited to make sure it wasn't coming back before letting her tired body slump to the grass.

"_Sly? Sly! Sly, do you copy?"_

"Yeah, what's up?" she responded.

"_Don't 'what's up' me! I was worried! I thought you weren't going to answer again, like when you were shot…"_

"Thanks buddy, but I'm fine. A little banged up, but fine. My plan worked by the way. Now we can see what that thing-a-ma-jig is," she said, reluctant to pick herself up and continue with the mission. She got up eventually and jogged over to the newly opened area. Some of the guards she had seen milling around before had scattered with the beast's arrival so at least there was less guards to deal with.

"You have any idea what this is?" Jade questioned, taking out her binoculars to get a closer look without actually getting closer.

"_It looks like some giant voodoo egg beater to stir up that unsanitary mess."_

"Maybe if I can get over there and mess with the…cauldron, for lack of a better word, I can get enough steam pressure to get launched up to Clove's skull temple," she suggested.

"_Ok, sounds like we've got a plan. To get around that thing stay in the shadows made by those big masks hanging from it. You don't want the remaining guards to see you."_

"Got it," she approved, sliding away the binoculars to move forward. She shifted into a mask's shadow and moved quickly with it, staying out of sight. She circled around and up to the overhang above. From there she jumped over, spinning her cane so that when she landed, she took out all the guards at once. They screamed their shock and fell into the churning muck below. Jade looked around for the heavy top and then closed it, stepping on it to build up steam. It hissed and the contraption speeding up was just the reaction she wanted. She readied herself on the cauldron's lid and was instantly launched into the air when the whole thing blew from the pressure. She forced entry with her body cracking through the brambles, vines, and branches that made up the structure then fell to the floor hard enough to be winded. She rested her head on her arms while she laid on her stomach and wondered if she would be able to get out of the upcoming fight alive. She gave herself to the count of five and then got to her feet, scooping up her cap and using her cane to push herself up. She dragged herself forward and stopped when a woman's voice addressed her.

"I could feel that Cooper vibe coming. Most distastefully bad juju," it spoke in a slight accent. Jade stood up straight to get a look at her target. She was a big woman with thick black hair covered with a bandanna. Her ears were pierced with rings of gold and her fingers wore rings with jewels. A huge diamond hung around her neck. The purple she was clad in reminded her of the color's significance while Clove's gaze made even Jade uncomfortable.

"Yeah, well you give me the creeps too, lady. Cooking up ghosts isn't a very neighborly pastime," Jade retorted, crossing her arms. Clove laughed mockingly.

"Oh, Sly. I see your mouth moving but all I hear is blah, blah, blah. Well, if jaws need to flap, then let them flap. See you in the next world, Sly Cooper," she growled from her perch. With a wave of her hands the giant skull they were in gnashed its teeth. Jade noticed the pointed fangs and ran for it. The jaws crashed together and Jade waited for them to open. When they did, she gracefully hopped on the point then jumped to the safety of the molar when the teeth met up again. She continued closer to Clove in that way until she was close enough to jump to her perch. She swung but Clove disappeared to a new location. Jade tried to follow but as soon as she touched down on a rock formation Clove shot a blast of energy at her.

"What the hell?!" she shouted as she jumped out of the way just in time. She caught herself on another formation and hauled herself up on it.

"Was that some type of voodoo magic?" she demanded. Clove just laughed and struck again. Jade nimbly dodged, taking advantage of her new position to get closer. She swung when she landed next to Clove but she evaded again. Jade snarled and had no choice but to follow. She jumped to the next rock formation and instantly realized that they were few and far between. Clove's grin widened as she began slinging spells again. Jade had never hit her limit before. Hell, she didn't think she had one, but jumping so far over and over again while staying out of the way of the crazy lunatic's magic was pushing her to the brink of exhaustion.

Her most recent jump landed her on her stomach. She clung to the rock, her ragged breath making her lungs burn. Clove blasted the rock and it crumbled, sending Jade sliding over the side. She pushed off into a back flip, found purchase on a rocky edge behind her, and pushed off to fly for Clove's latest and last perch. There was nowhere else she could run to. Jade just had to reach her, but she fell short. She caught the ledge with her cane and attempted to pull herself up but her arms shook. Her body was officially out of steam. Clove peered at her from above and set her bare foot on the head of the cane. She shoved once, making it slip.

"Go ahead and do it you sick, twisted-" Jade ranted in anger at herself which she projected at her enemy. Clove's eyes flared at the defiance and she reached down to grip the cane instead. She yanked Jade up with it but swung her around to slam her into the wall behind them. She fell on her stomach with a cough and was hauled up by the front of her shirt. Clove held a fist in her face, the strange energy swirling brighter and brighter. Jade blindly used her foot to scoop her cane up then pop it into the air to her hand. Once it was tightly gripped in her fist she unloaded on Clove, knocking her out. She slumped over on her side, dropping Jade who swayed and then fell to her knees. Well, that was a close one. Jade got back up to look for a way out and let out a grateful sigh when she pushed aside a bone shrine at the back wall to find a tunnel that took her outside. Papers under the dusty bones drew her eyes away from the exit. She bent down to pick them up and dust them off. They were the files and notes she needed. She put them in her backpack and left. She slid and almost fell face first as she stumbled down the incline.

"Murray, get Bentley to pinpoint my location. I'm too tired to figure it out. Bring the van, quick," she patched in.

"_On our way."_

When she got the response she finished descending down the hill to reach a more stable and leveled out surface. Only then did she allow her body to sink to the ground. She rested on her back and stared up into the vast sky. Soon her eyes felt heavy and she lost consciousness.


	8. Blue and Orange

**It's been a while hasn't it? I'm still deciding where to take this so my apologies for taking so long. As a gift for your patience I give you this update in hopes you'll wait a little longer. It's edging into M territory here so fair warning, although it isn't that much. Once I know what I want to do with this and how I want it to end I'll be sure to update more regularly. Until then, Enjoy!**

* * *

Jade woke up from her deep sleep to stare groggily at the ceiling of the van. She knew where she was and why she was moving but at the same time her brain had to catch up. She closed her eyes in a loud yawn and stretched. Robbie's face was the next thing she saw when she opened her eyes again. He was looking down at her with pure worry. She on the other hand was almost loopy with fatigue but happy to get a good sleep after passing out.

"Boy am I glad to see your geeky face," she told him, reaching up to slap his cheeks with both her hands on either side of his face. He flailed and knocked them away impatiently.

"Jade, you worried us sick!" he exclaimed. She just laughed and closed her eyes, feeling like another nap.

"I'm here aren't I?" she questioned.

"Well…yeah, but that's not the point!" he pouted. Andre laughed from the front.

"Even like this she's still our Jade," he commented.

"Vega?" Jade wondered.

"I told Andre to get us out of there as fast as possible. She'll probably show up just in time to clean up our mess," Robbie answered.

"You wimp," she accused, eyes falling closed.

"No I'm not. I'm just cautious. You only want to see your girlfriend again and you're sulking because you didn't get to. You're also taking it out on me now that you know I was the one to make our timely exit happen," he whined.

"Take advantage of my crappy health while you still can, Rob. I'll get you back when you least expect it," Jade warned him. He squeaked and jumped over into the front.

"You're so gonna get it," Andre told him. Robbie sunk down in his seat. Andre chuckled and then silence fell, bringing sleep with it. Jade was happy to take another break from reality. When she woke up again it was to be told that she had slept almost a whole day away. She smacked Robbie upside the head for being the one to advise that she shouldn't be woken up. Then she punched him in the arm for his smart ass remarks earlier. After that she dragged him in the back for a vicious noogie attack complete with wet willy for his smart ass comments through the whole mission. She dropped him on the floor of the van and hopped over to take his seat while Andre laughed hysterically, trying not to drive them off the road.

While they made their way back home Jade went through the newly acquired pages to her family's book. She couldn't help but think it would have been passed down to her had it not been violently torn to pieces. She passed Robbie another coded page and concentrated on the new skill. It was a strange one, and hard to believe, fitting in with the location she had found it in. The description on how it worked required more mental skill than the other physical skills. Figuring she would look into it, and the notes on the next member of the Talons, later she set it aside to just enjoy the ride. When they finally arrived back at their alternate hideout the gang caught some shut eye. The next morning Jade happily donned civilian clothes and went out for a coffee and newspaper. She was eager to see what Inspector Vega was called this time.

"'Latin hottie busts big bad voodoo mama!' Wow, it just keeps getting better," she commented with a grin. She picked up her cup of coffee to take a drink when a tanned hand came down on the paper to smack it flat on the table. The unexpectedly loud sound made Jade jump and then scramble to save her coffee from spilling.

"Sorry. Did I scare you?" Tori questioned, a sly smirk of her own on her face.

"And here's the Latin hottie now. No, you didn't scare me. Surprised me maybe," Jade answered, playing it off coolly and taking a drink of coffee. Tori giggled and sat down on the other side of the booth.

"Thanks for all the busts by the way. The new department I work with now is showering me with praise for the captures," she remarked.

"Glad I could help a cop for once," Jade responded followed by another sip.

"Shouldn't you relax and take it slow?" Tori asked her, reaching over to rest her hand on Jade's. She turned it over to give Tori's hand a squeeze.

"What makes you say that?" she wondered, although she knew what the cop meant.

"You're up early and wandering around plus you're drinking caffeine. Why aren't you at home sleeping?" Tori told her in clear disapproval. When Jade didn't respond and instead looked away, Tori sighed.

"Never mind. Um, how's the injury?" she inquired.

"It's fine," Jade answered in a way that made Tori frown.

"Jade," she scolded. The thief rolled her eyes and threw up her hands, tossing Tori's back at her in the process.

"Ok, fine! By the end of it all I passed out from over exertion! Are you happy now?" she spat. She didn't like being unable to take care of herself. She didn't like feeling weak or even admitting to it. Tori's caring brown eyes went from angry to sad in a second.

"I…Jade, you can't just…you wanna come over? To my place I mean?" she questioned hopefully. Jade stared at her in disbelief, trying to figure out why she asked that question in the first place. There was something in Tori's eyes that Jade couldn't resist. It pulled her in and she couldn't refuse.

"Sure," she accepted. Tori took her by the hand and walked her out to her car. They got in and Tori drove in silence. They didn't feel the need to talk. Meanwhile, Jade wondered how they kept bumping into each other. Was it fate? She shook the thought away. It was ridiculous, but after seeing all that voodoo nonsense she was beginning to believe anything. The drive went by fast. It was either that or Jade had grown accustomed to drives spanning longer than normal so that sitting through a drive this long felt like mere seconds. Tori pulled up outside an apartment complex and got out. Jade opened the door and started to get out too but Tori took her hand and helped her, waiting for her to be clear of the door before closing it for her.

"Are you **trying **to make me feel useless?" Jade grumbled with slight irritation. Tori chuckled and pulled her along.

"No, I'm just trying to make it easier on you. I can see you're still in a bit of pain even if you try to hide it. It's ok to need help," she answered. Jade pondered her words while Tori directed her inside. They took an elevator to the top floor and stepped out to pass three doors then stopped. Tori pulled out her keys but hesitated, looking at Jade with her bottom lip tucked under her teeth. Jade mentally begged Tori to cut it out.

"It's not much, but…" she began, slipping the key in the lock. It was then Jade understood the problem. Tori was suffering from self-consciousness. How she could think like that was beyond Jade. Victoria Vega was perfect the way she was and that would include anything that came with her. Jade waited patiently while Tori unlocked the door and pushed it open. She stepped in to flip the lights and Jade entered right behind her. A modest living room greeted her with a single three cushion couch. It was an ideal piece of furniture for a person living alone. It was enough for close friends when they came over, a place to crash after a tired day, and was long plus wide enough to fit two people laying down. Jade reprimanded herself for the random thought and steered clear of that thought process. She knew she wouldn't give a damn what state her body was in if it meant extracurricular activities with Tori, preferably of the sexy variety. Jade only then realized that Tori was staring at her with a puzzled tilt of her head while she stared at the couch like an idiot. Holy hell, she hoped Tori didn't show her the bedroom. Who knew what she would do when she caught sight of Tori's bed.

"Jade? Are you ok? You look a little flushed. Are you tired? I'm glad we didn't take the stairs," she teased, clasping her hands behind her back and smiling.

"I'm not tired," Jade finally managed to answer. Where was her smooth talking ability? Did it just turn off? Maybe she really was tired.

"Kitchen's over there, room and bathroom down that way, congratulations the tour is over. Now sit down and relax because you seriously look like you need it," Tori rambled, grabbing Jade by the hand to plop her on the couch.

"Stay there," she ordered before walking into the kitchen. Jade groaned and fell over to lay on her side. When Tori returned she set the cup of water she had on the coffee table and then crouched down next to Jade so that they were at eye level. When Jade opened her eyes, sensing Tori's return, she couldn't believe how adorable it was to see Tori waiting for her to respond. Her big brown eyes studied Jade like a loving caress. She cupped Tori's cheek and then pressed their lips together. Jade pulled back, brushed her hand through Tori's silky chestnut hair, and then sat up, propping herself on her right hand.

"I brought you water and painkillers. Trust me, it'll help you feel better," Tori advised, reaching over to get the water. She presented it and the pill to Jade.

"How dare you, inviting me over just to drug me. What were you gonna do once I was passed out, huh?" she questioned suggestively, taking the pill from Tori to pop it in her mouth anyway. She chased it down with the water and then held out the glass for Tori to take. Tori just sat there, taken off guard by the comment. Her cheeks warmed slightly but she snapped out of it to take the glass to the kitchen. Jade smirked, feeling better already. She suffered a lapse but she was back. She sat up fully now to give Tori room to sit next to her.

"How's the healing process at least?" she asked, still concerned. Jade rolled her eyes, gripped the hem of her shirt, and pulled it up. Tori's eyes fell to her abdomen, her brows furrowing at the discolored skin from the bruise, the thin scars from the cards, and the stitched together hole where the bullet passed through her. There was no need for the stitches now but Jade's body was still patching things up internally. Tori's eyes roamed over many other old scars, leaning over to carefully trace each one. Jade relived each moment as if Tori's touch unlocked them in her mind. She gazed at Tori while she studied her body and her breath hitched when Tori's eyes suddenly flicked up to meet hers. Jade, spurred by Tori's stare, rid herself of her shirt. Tori instantly ran her hands over Jade's torso, skirting the gunshot wound to run up and down her back. Her fingers froze at the thick burn scar from the laser in Rodrick's hideout.

"Geez, Jade," she gasped, pain for the thief in her eyes. Jade shook her head, silently telling her not to worry, and then drifted down her lithe body to wrap around her waist, bringing her as close as she could. In order to do that Tori had to straddle Jade whose smile grew at the increased contact.

"We shouldn't," Tori stated, sounding a lot like Jade all those days ago.

"But we can," Jade answered, sounding like Tori. Tori's slender fingers brushed over Jade's most recent wound, making her stomach muscles tighten. She took it as a painful reaction and pulled back, but to Jade, the new skin was just sensitive to touch. She caught Tori's hand and pressed it back to the wound, covering it in her warmth.

"You won't hurt me," Jade assured her. Tori's downcast eyes were on the injury before they closed and she smiled.

"Ok," she said simply. Jade kissed her firmly and then pushed off the couch to trap Tori under her. She dragged out the next kiss so that it was languid and sensual, bringing about a moan from the inspector. She pushed Jade back and buried a hand in her raven locks.

"Bedroom," she panted out simply but to the point. Jade gathered Tori in her arms and lifted her off the couch. Tori's strong legs hugged Jade's waist snuggly and her arms held around her neck. Jade's arms held Tori around the middle. She took them down the hall and turned when Tori directed her to. She pushed open the door and kicked it closed behind them. She set Tori down on the bed and then stepped back to strip off her pants along with her shoes, leaving her in only her undergarments. Tori's eyes widened with desire. She kept her eyes on Jade's body while she tore off her shirt and shucked off her pants and shoes. She pushed off the bed to drape her left arm over Jade's shoulder while her right hand gripped Jade by the back of her neck. Their lips collided passionately. Jade's hands flitted down Tori's sides, inflicting an overwhelming need with just her touch. Her left leg rose to hook around Jade, sliding down and bringing her closer.

Jade groaned her appreciation and scooped up Tori to return her to the bed. She climbed on over her and reconnected their lips. Tori made no move to change their position no matter how excited she became, but Jade thought back to that night on the roof. She pinned Tori under her that time, but not this time. They were in Tori's house, in Tori's bed, and Jade needed her to see that. She switched her kisses and caresses to fleeting, minimal contact. She pulled away once in a while, watching Tori's sexual frustration as well as confusion mount. Jade eventually taunted Tori by moving in for a kiss only to deny her at the last minute. Tori groaned and hooked her leg on Jade's waist again. She grumbled Jade's name and her grip on Jade grew firm. This was what she wanted. She didn't want to be treated like fragile glass. She wanted Tori to be the one on top and she wanted her to take it for herself. Jade wasn't going to hand it to her.

"What do you want?" Tori panted, her voice conveying her desperation. Jade only smirked and kissed under Tori's ear.

"Treat me like you mean it. I'm a criminal and you're a cop. I've broken the law and it's your job to bring me to justice. You can't go soft on me. You have to establish that you're the one making orders. Can you do that Inspector Vega?" Jade's husky voice breathed against her ear.

"In that case, I'll be happy to take you in," Tori growled in return. She flipped them over so quick Jade was caught off guard. Tori held her down with her wrists above her head and swooped in to kiss her hard. Jade groaned against her mouth, turned on by Tori's dominant treatment towards her. Her tongue swept into Jade's mouth without asking and tangled with hers, forcing it to her will. She coaxed it into her own mouth where she sucked on it. When she released it to force it back where it belonged, like a toy she was done with, Jade's hands clenched. Tori nibbled on Jade's bottom lip and then pulled away to see just how much Jade was enjoying her ministrations. She dragged her fingers down Jade's pale arms, her nails lightly scratching along the way. Jade's body arched slightly in response. Tori grabbed her by the jaw and looked her in the eyes.

"I don't want to push you too far, but if this is what you want, if this is what will make you happy, then I'll do it. For you," Tori stated kindly, all that previously harsh tone tossed aside for that one moment. Jade should have known, but loved Tori even more for it.

"You won't, but if you do I'll be too much of a satisfied mess to care anyway. You can count on that," Jade said with certainty. Tori shook her head at Jade's cheeky grin and kissed her tenderly. She caressed Jade's face as their lips slid lovingly together. Tori pulled away and nodded.

"Ok, Jade," she agreed.

"Yeah?" Jade questioned, her excitement already rising at the thought.

"Yeah," Tori reiterated. Jade grabbed Tori by the shoulders and pinned her but Tori's long years of training reflexively positioned herself so that she could pin Jade down again. Jade was awed by her flexibility and efficient maneuvers.

"There's no getting away from me this time, Cooper," she promised the incredibly turned on thief under her. Jade turned away from Tori defiantly in an attempt to prove her wrong but caved the instant Tori's hands slowly claimed her, exploring with lazy interest on her face, when really, under it all, she was wild with lust and eager to claim Jade as hers. Jade waited for that very same thing. Only then would she return the gesture with just as much passion. Jade brushed her hands over Tori's sides and urged her to drape her body fully over her. Tori let the small instruction position her that she connected with Jade like two puzzle pieces fitting together. Their hips met and Tori didn't hesitate to rub the length of her body against Jade who hummed with pleasure and encouraged Tori by pulling her hips down and raising her own to meet her.

"I'll happily accept defeat this time," Jade mumbled. Tori smirked and leaned in to nuzzle under Jade's jaw while her hands splayed over her toned stomach. She slid down to trace patterns on Jade's hip just as her lips pressed soft kisses to her skin. Jade filled her right hand with a squeeze to Tori's behind. Tori bucked into her and Jade took advantage of her pause in torture by redirecting the hand at her hip to drag lower. Tori gripped her thigh and then slipped between, shifting so she had more room to press against Jade. In response, Jade pushed back into her hand.

"Shit. Vega, please," she panted. Tori chuckled, drifted back up over her and then back down, hooking her fingers into the waistband of Jade's panties. Jade licked her lips then bit down in anticipation but Tori pulled away, making Jade whine.

"It's too easy. The Jade I know wouldn't make it so easy," she commented.

"So you want a thrill?" Jade questioned, willing to do anything at that point as long as Tori provided her with sweet release. Tori nodded and that was all Jade needed. She quickly rolled them over and attached her lips to Tori's pulse point while her hands deftly unhooked her bra. She pulled it off, tossed it aside, and unlatched her lips to taste the newly exposed flesh. Tori let out a sound of pleasure and threw back her head. She didn't think Jade would cripple her so fast. Jade worked lower, leaving a wet trail down Tori's body. Her hands followed, firmly following her curves, until they were tugging at her panties. Jade pulled them down Tori's slender legs and tossed them. She gave Tori a once over before continuing but by then Tori took over again. She removed Jade's bra before catching her by the wrist and sending her falling flat on her back. Tori kept her from any retaliation with the warm caress of her hands and mouth, her tongue swirling and flicking. Jade held her in place and let her breathing escalate with her arousal. Her left hand trailed over Tori's back, pressing into toned muscle to feel it flex with Tori's movements. She was rocking into Jade now, dragging out each press of their bodies.

Jade was focused on the building sensations that scorched her so she missed the moment when Tori slipped off her panties. Her fingers made fleeting contact but it was enough to make Jade moan longingly. They were both ready but Jade was waiting on Tori, gazing into her eyes with want as well as love. She brought Tori into an ardent kiss and Tori took that moment to slip into her. Jade gasped into her mouth and tried to continue the kiss but she couldn't. Moans and whimpers were spilling out instead, brought on by Tori's stokes inside her. Her hips rolled in an effort to take in more of Tori's digits. She watched Jade writhe, appreciating the way she looked when she was lost in bliss. Her nails began digging into Tori's back and she hissed from the pain but it didn't stop her. Jade heard her and gripped at the sheets instead. Tori sped up slowly, steadily taking Jade higher and higher. Her moans turned to cries the closer Tori pushed Jade to the edge. Her mouth returned to Jade's neck, and that added stimulation gave Jade the release she yearned for. She growled through her teeth and pulled at the sheets, her body tense. When her vision cleared and her body was allowed to relax she opened her eyes tiredly to grin at Tori satisfactorily.

"Incredible," Jade panted heavily. Tori smiled happily and slid out of Jade. She sucked in a breath and then sighed. They shared a sweet kiss and then Jade wrapped Tori in her arms so that she was resting on Jade, her ear right at Jade's heart. It was beating wildly. Jade's hands passed up and down Tori's back, staying busy while she caught her breath, but also denying a chance for Tori's body to wind down. It was working, because every so often Tori would shiver, especially when Jade's nimble fingers brushed a sensitive area of her lower back. She brought her hands back up on the last pass and used a single finger to ghost down Tori's spine. That brought on a shudder and a groan. Jade smirked and Tori pushed herself up to shoot a frustrated frown at Jade.

"Sorry, was that bothering you? I'll stop," she apologized innocently.

"You better not," Tori grumbled, her brown eyes darkening. Jade chuckled and buried her hand in Tori's hair, bringing her mouth in reach for a kiss.

"I meant no disrespect, inspector," Jade mumbled against Tori's lips.

"Then carry on," Tori ordered. Jade complied but took her time building Tori up to release. She made sure every touch, every stroke, every caress, and every kiss told Tori how precious she was to her. When Tori finally fell over the edge and then basked in the afterglow Jade bestowed on her she couldn't deny loving this amazing person. Nothing she did in the past made a difference to how she felt and nothing in the future would either. She curled up in Jade's arms and held her close, breathing her in. She felt minor guilt for falling in love with her enemy but it was too easy to ignore that in favor of how happy it made her feel. Jade dropped a kiss on her forehead and then let herself drift off. Tori followed right behind her, identical smiles of happiness on their faces.

~S~S~S~S~

Back at the police department, Tori walked down the hall to her office with confidence in every step and a smile on her face. Those who got to know her knew she was, for the most part, a positive person, but the aura of happiness surrounding her now was obvious. Those who didn't take the time to know her only scowled and chalked it up to just being overly chipper. Tori didn't give them the time of day. Heck, she even spoke her orders in a way that needed to be taken seriously but lacked the force to make it sound serious. Never the less, Tori kept her head held high and did her work, looking forward to the day Jade would return again from her next mission. She knew she shouldn't be standing by while a well-known thief continued to steal without capture, especially since she had the means to do so, but love was a strange thing. She entered her newly obtained office and took a seat. She began her day searching the database for Kaiden. He was the next member of the Talons and the one Jade left to face. She had just logged on when there was a knock at her door. She looked up to see the Chief of Police from her old department.

"Beckett, what are you doing here?" she asked, a cold feeling settling in her gut at his appearance. He looked too calm to actually be calm. Jade knew that he became eerily quiet the angrier he became unlike most people who got louder. He shrugged and leaned against the doorway.

"I just wanted to see how my favorite little inspector is doing," he said nonchalantly. Tori could hear the faked cheer in his voice and stayed on guard.

"Your favorite? Yeah right. I'm fine, if you must know, but I'm busy right now," she answered, fixing her gaze back on the computer screen. She wondered how much of a buzzkill Oliver could be to sap away most of her happiness with just his presence alone.

"You always were," he remarked, stepping further into her office and shutting the door behind him. His voice inflection and actions instantly set off alarms in Tori's head.

"What do you want, Oliver?" she questioned with a hint of hostility. She never really liked him to begin with.

"Tell me, you gave up searching for Cooper, right?" he asked, wandering her office to look over things as he spoke, his hands casually clasped behind his back.

"What does that have to do with anything?" she answered with her own question.

"Just answer the damn question," he demanded, his dark brown almost black eyes flicking to her.

"Yes," she replied.

"Why?" he asked next.

"It was a waste of time. I was stupid to think I could achieve the impossible," she responded, making sure to hold his gaze.

"A waste of time? Are you sure that was the problem?" he inquired, a mix of taunting and something else that made Tori tense.

"What are you talking about?" she asked him.

"How is Cooper anyway?" he ignored her to go on.

"I wouldn't know. I've been busy finding and busting the Talons. Someone should. Those crooks have been free for too long," she told him. She caught a slight reaction from him when she mentioned the gang of thieves and filed it away.

"Yes, you've managed to capture three so far. Congratulations," he stated, coming to a halt in front of her desk. He glared at her and leaned forward to place his hands flat on the desk.

"Having fun with your little play thing on the side?" he wondered mockingly. Tori flinched slightly but waved him away.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she dismissed.

"I know about you and her," he continued, refusing to let her brush him aside.

"Who?" she asked him in the best confused voice she could muster along with a tilted head and bemused expression.

"Don't play dumb with me, Vega!" he snapped, slamming a fist on her desk.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" she repeated fiercely.

"So, were you lonely, curious, or was it just for pleasure?" he accused, leaning closer so that he was almost in her face.

"**Excuse** me?" she responded in offense.

"Did you fuck her yet?" he wondered, his voice dangerous. Tori's eyes widened and her mouth fell open at the lewd demand for private information stated so bluntly.

"I'm sorry. Was that crossing the line? Because believe me, **you'll** be the one who has crossed too many lines should I choose to expose you for fraternizing with a known criminal. You've thrown away your sense of wrong and right," he practically snarled.

"No, I haven't. You have for accusing me of things you have no right to claim," she growled in return, standing to stare him down. They were almost the same size so now that she was on her feet he wasn't towering over her anymore. He smoothed down his uniform and then stepped back, face calm once more.

"I'm not done here, Victoria. I have enough proof to get you in a lot of trouble. While I'm at it I can also use it to send Cooper where she belongs," he threatened. Tori wanted desperately to tell him that he wouldn't get away with it, that he couldn't prove anything, but her jaw remained wired shut with too many emotions. She didn't know whether he was telling the truth or not but she hoped, at the very least, that he was just trying to trick her into spilling information by upsetting her.

"Get out," she commanded through clenched teeth.

"Fine, then I'll go spread the interesting news…" he complied, walking towards the door. Tori stood with her hands in fists, fighting the urge to stop him and reminding herself that he didn't have anything to tell.

"Or, I could cut a deal with you," he mentioned, turning to face her again.

"I don't make deals with criminals," she told him. A cruel smile played on his lips.

"Oh, but you do. We both know that you do," he disagreed. Tori was seconds from defending Jade. She wasn't a criminal. She was an enemy of Tori's enemies which made her a friend, someone she was sure was a step away from being a vigilante. Maybe even a hero. She forced herself to stay calm with a deep breath.

"What, do, you, **want**?" she emphasized each word in her anger.

"Bring me Sly Cooper and I'll have no choice but to believe you. After all, no one would turn in their lover," he said with a knowing glint in his eyes. He watched her like a vulture but she kept her face blank while inside she was panicking. She had to warn Jade, but how could she do that without running off at that very moment? That would surely raise a flag. No, she had to find another way.

"She isn't my lover," Tori responded under her breath, failing to keep some form of defeat out of her voice.

"So is that a yes?" he pressed. Tori inhaled and then exhaled in an irritated huff of air.

"You'll see," she answered, turning him away with the mere tone of her voice. He grinned and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Then I'll be seeing you around," he said in farewell. He sounded completely at ease now compared to his rage fueled words just moments ago. Tori ignored him, sitting down and staring at the computer screen, trying to make it seem like she didn't care for what happened. She kept the act up until he shut the door behind him. Only then did she let her eyes water, her hands shake, and Jade's name fall from her lips in despair.


	9. Fire in the Sky

**Yay, I finally had time to update this! It's been a while. Enjoy!**

* * *

Sly Cooper and her gang were on the road towards yet another member of the Talons. Jade sat in the front seat, resting against the door with her feet propped up on the dashboard. A permanent smile had graced her face since she returned to the alternate hideout. The expression wasn't lost on Andre who wiggled his brows at her as soon as he saw it. Robbie gave her a curious but calculative tilt of his head. He wasn't sure what to make of the development between the person who spent her life trying to catch them and his non-blood related sister and friend. They didn't need to say anything and they didn't feel the need to. They knew Jade long enough to see she was beyond happy and completely lovesick. It was a new but good look for their thieving leader. They spent the rest of the night at the train cart hideout then headed out after a small debriefing. Robbie shared that the coded messages they had been collecting were some kind of coordinates on a map complete with directions written in a riddle format.

Jade left that to the brains of their group and turned her own attention to their next target. He went by the name Kaiden and his location was at a grand temple on the Kun Lun Mountains in China. His affinity for fireworks since childhood turned him to using the colorful light display as a weapon when his own firework creations were turned away just because he was of the lower class. His anger towards being turned aside made him a great demolitions expert for the Talons. The fact that he found a way to harness fire in the palm of his hands was enough for Jade to remember to tread carefully when the time came to face him. The closer they got to their destination the colder it became. Snow began to fall and once again Jade was hating the weather. Andre pulled up in the thick snow and turned to her. She was curled up in a thick blanket. She traded her flexible boots for thicker ones and wore another shirt under her long sleeve.

"Pouring rain, heat waves, oppressive humidity, and now blizzards," she griped.

"There isn't a blizzard outside just soft freshly fallen snow," Robbie said from the back. Jade glared at him and dropped the blanket to jump the seat. He flinched and covered his head but Jade only shoved him over to get out.

"Wish me luck," she grumbled. What she really wanted was to be lounging in a warm, comfortable bed with Tori. She'd give anything for that right now.

"Good luck," they replied. Jade slammed the doors shut and then turned around to run up the snowy hill. At the top she pulled out her binoculars to scan her surroundings. A bang and then a crackle followed by lights sparkling in the distance caught her attention.

"_Would you look at that? A fireworks show!"_

Jade followed the arc of light to a mountain. The firework struck and it blew sky high, creating an avalanche of snow that tumbled to the ground below where a small village sat.

"_Oh my gosh. That's awful! That poor village just got buried in snow!"_

"The rocket came from that giant statue and you can bet that Kaiden lit the fuse. I've gotta find my way up there and fast before that lunatic squashes another town," Jade replied, looking to the statue of a huge panda placed up on a high ledge. She put away the binoculars and passed through the gates ahead. She pressed up against it when a guard passed by. Her breaths spiraled in little clouds and she frowned at the way her body shook slightly. It irritated the deep set bruises but she ignored it. Once the guard walked away she darted down the path and made a running leap to hook onto the branch of a tree and swing up on a ledge. She had to shimmy across to the other side but she was wary of the icicles dangling from above. She groaned and then pressed her back to the rock wall. She moved carefully but sped up when a single icicle shattered inches from her. She made it to the other side just as another fell. She crossed the open space, wondering why there wasn't a hint of security. She had her answer in the form of a strange noise behind her. She turned to see a giant snowball threatening to run her over. She jumped forward into a roll that got her out of the way just in time.

"_Snow must be falling off and rolling down that indent in the mountain's side, growing in size by the time it reaches the bottom."_

"Getting run over by snow doesn't seem like a very cool way to die. It should be a boulder," Jade joked with a smile.

"_Painful, but going out via attempt at reliving a classic film and/or game does sound kinda cool."_

"Exactly, so why not?" Jade replied. She looked around, saw nowhere else to go, and made a sound of agitation.

"_I think you already know what you have to do."_

Jade trudged forward and then started running as fast as she could up the indent. She kept slipping and had to constantly adjust the position of her footing but she continued up at a steady pace. Another snowball came shooting down and clipped Jade's elbow when it passed. There really wasn't a lot of room on either side. She hurried up at a faster pace and stepped out on the right where an opening was provided. Jade strode down the path and stopped at the edge of a cliff. On the other side was a door to enter the surrounding stone gate. Jade's sharp eyes noticed the weakening, rusty latch at the top. She quickly looked around for a rock and found something better, a firework. She hoped it was actually a rocket. She set it up and rummaged in her backpack for a match. She sparked it to life with a scrape of her teeth then lit the fuse. It flew kinda wonky but still hit its mark. The door creaked and then fell over to create a bridge for Jade to cross over and enter.

She came to a stop under the doorway and looked around again before stepping forward. A guard patrolled the area but Jade had to pass him to get to the ledge that would allow her passage to the temple. She waited in the shadows for the guard to pass then jumped him with a swing at the back of his head. He fell to the snow and she ran for the ledge. She pressed her back to the wall of the building and hid under the awning of a window to avoid a flashlight checking over the edge from above. When it disappeared she hid under the next awning before stepping off to take a ramp up higher, stopping to assess the new area. There were more rockets she could use to take out the guards nearby. She quickly set them up, lit the fuse, and then stepped back to watch them explode. The last rocket she saved to break the lock of the bridge ahead. When it fell she crossed it to the temple but she couldn't go in yet. A big padlock kept everyone without the key out.

"_You'll need the key if you wanna get past that gate."_

"Nonsense. I'll just break this thing off," Jade scoffed.

"_I wouldn't do that."_

She ignored him and proceeded to use brute force. Her cane bounced off and shoved her back with the rebound. She fell on her ass in the snow with a grunt.

"What the hell," she grumbled, getting up and dusting snow off before it melted on her.

"_I tried to tell you. That padlock is stronger than others you've come across. I think you should check out that forest to your right. My scanners picked up guards roaming around in there. I bet one of them has the key."_

Jade rolled her eyes at the obvious solution then made her way to the edge of the forest. She could see the flashlights flickering in the shade the trees provided. It would no doubt be colder in there without the minimal sunlight out in the open. Jade shivered at the thought but moved forward. She hated the cold but it had to get done. She shuffled around a tall pine tree and looked around it to see a burly guard shuffle by. She shifted away from the beam of light so that she remained undetected. She was about to step out when another guard passed by.

"Shit. Too many. It's not like I can just turn invisible," she muttered under her breath.

"_You sort of can."_

"That skill is a waste. I tried to learn it but I can't stay that still," Jade disregarded with an irritated sigh.

"_It's worth a try. If a guard comes by just play possum and they'll move on. It's not like they'll want to stick around a dead body."_

"Bentley, you wouldn't be suggesting this if you tried the technique," she continued to disagree. He sighed on the other end of the line.

"_Fine. Find another way then."_

"I **will**," she emphasized in a rather immature tone. She glanced around and then up at the nearest tree.

"Why not? Better than playing dead," she said with a shrug. She waited for the next guard to pass in case she made too much noise then leaped to a branch. She stayed close to the trunk for cover and used the thin branches to climb higher. They shook slightly with her passing but she moved fast enough to be too high to spot. The only downside was the prickling needles and the clumps of snow falling on her. A stray branch knocked her cap off for the third time but she caught it before it could fall and clamped it in her teeth instead. She got as high as she could then looked out at the ground below. There were a lot of guards, too many to pass while on the ground, so she jumped from tree to tree. When she had been in almost all the trees in the area she came across a guard that looked bigger and meaner than the rest. A ring of hooks clinked at his waist. Jade couldn't help but think that of course, with her luck, it would be someone like him to have what she needed.

"_Sly, that's suicide in your condition! Heck, it's suicide anyway!"_

"Don't worry. I've got this. Now pipe down so I can concentrate," she replied, trying not to think about the time she was almost clubbed to death. She began climbing down the tree behind the guard, moving as silently as possible while replacing her cap on her head. She had the key in hand when the guard suddenly yanked away sharply. She held on and the force of the pull freed the ring of keys. She fell but caught herself and looked up into grey eyes burning with a killer's intent. She saluted him with a smirk in place and then leaped into the nearest tree. He shouted for the other guards and pulled out a machete from the sheath strapped to his back. Jade had no intention of getting caught now. She secured the keys in her backpack before moving on. She made her way back out, leaping from tree to tree, but the next one she jumped to suddenly toppled, the trunk snapping in half.

"I've got her!" the guard below crowed triumphantly, swinging his machete one last time into the trunk. She went from climbing to running along the trunk, making a jump for the next tree. She missed it, flailing through the thin branches which broke under her weight, and tumbled to the ground. She hit the unforgiving earth in an area that lacked snow to cushion her fall. Her already worn body did not appreciate the blow to her side. She curled up and tried to mentally erase the pain. She quickly went through the difficult steps and forced her body to comply with the only thing she could think of that could save her now. She hoped she could pull it off this time. She heard the guards stomping over to her. The body heat coming off one of them told her he was crouching down in front of her.

"She didn't make the jump," he observed. Jade felt a big, rough hand press to her neck and wait. He grunted, checked her wrist, and then her chest, before he snickered and stood.

"Stupid pest fell to her death. What kinda maniac jumps through trees like a damn monkey?" he questioned. Jade fought the urge to beat him to a pulp and remained still. It became even harder to stay still after the kick to her stomach. She regulated her forced out breath to a silent whisper snaking out subtly from between her teeth. The boot returned to shoved her on her back. She rolled over limply.

"What say we have a little fun?" the guard asked the others. Their lewd agreements and suggestions made her stomach churn. She felt the guard's presence close to her again and then his hand was gripping her jaw. He then dragged it down her neck and lower to most likely grope her like the pig he was but a bang in the distance made him pull away.

"Shit, that's the boss."

"Just like him to ruin the fun."

"Stop your complaining and get going!" the leader commanded. Jade heard them scatter in a flurry of boots through snow. When silence fell the guard laughed and turned back to Jade.

"Dumb asses," he muttered. His hands returned to grope her then drag down her body to grab at the waistband of her pants. Before he could do anything else she shot out her hand to slam the heel of it into his nose. It only took one pound of pressure to break in a person's nose and in her disgust and fury, she was sure she applied more than that. He howled in agony and pulled away to cover his gushing face. Jade launched up on her feet and grabbed him by the front of his jacket. She threw him toward the ground at the same time that she brought her knee up, slamming him into it face first. He fell heavily to the floor, motionless. She made sure to kick him in the stomach as payment for the one he gave her. She located her cane in the snow and then walked away. Her body was once again complaining but her anger kept it from bothering her.

"_That was despicable. Sly…are you ok?"_

"I'll be fine," she answered tersely. He left her alone after that, sensing her dangerous mood. She returned to the temple door, unlocked it, and then shoved the gate open to throw open the doors. She was done with secrecy. Whatever she walked into would get the full effect of her rage. She burst through to see that no one was around. She sagged at the anticlimactic entrance, ran through to the back door, and walked back outside.

"_Now you're in the stronghold."_

"All that and I'm still not there?" she questioned.

"_I'm afraid so."_

"Ah chiz. Well, how am I getting up to Kaiden's domain?" she asked him, taking out her binoculars to look up at the giant statue in the distance. It was closer than before but still so high.

"_Gathering enough rockets should give you the lift you need."_

"Perfect. There's always firepower lying around here," she replied, already seeing two leaning against the wall. She searched the sheds and unguarded buildings for more rockets and then gathered them together in a spot suitable for launch which was on the roof closest to the statue.

"Is this enough?" she asked the brains of the team.

"_Unfortunately, you'll need a little more than that. Maybe you can find a bigger rocket to add to the ones you have. That's sure to get you up there."_

"How will I get that?" she questioned, looking around while she waited for an answer.

"_There's a storage room by the building you set up on. Drop in from the hatch on the roof. The door has another strong lock and I'm sure you don't want to seek out anymore guards for a key."_

"Hell no," she agreed, running over the roof to jump the gap onto the next building. She pulled open the hatch and slipped in, dropping onto a stack of crates below. She used her cane to pry open the lids until she found what she was looking for. She tucked it under her arm and hopped back up the stacked crates to exit through the hatch she came in from. She backtracked to the building next door and tied all the rockets together, adding a metal ring she had found to the bundle. She aimed it in the right direction, lit the fuse, and hooked her cane into the ring. The rockets took off so fast she almost got whiplash. Her hands tightened on her cane as she flew through the air. Right when she felt her grip slipping she was already in position to let go. She unhooked her cane and landed heavily at the bottom of a staircase leading up to the very top of the statue. She could barely see a very big man sitting in the lotus position at the top. He wore no shirt, just shorts. Jade wondered how he didn't freeze to death. She ran up the steps and stopped at the top, ready at a moment's notice to dodge anything he had in store for her.

"I see you have finally come for me. I know you belong to the thief clan that has been our enemy for many years. I've heard a lot about your family's reputation. Have you come here for revenge?" he began to speak in a deep voice. He didn't even open his eyes and his calm appearance was beginning to make Jade even more anxious than before. Based on his actions and what she knew about him she was ready for a fierce fight against someone in need of anger management more than her.

"That was my plan at first but now I'm more interested in putting an end to your avalanche extortion racket," she answered, crossing her arms and letting a frown curve her lips. Her brows creased over her mask to further show her contempt.

"Why should you care if I bury a few worthless villages in snow? You are a thief, just like me," he responded, still calm.

"No, that's only half right. I am a thief, from what looks to be a long line of master thieves, while you…you're just a frustrated firework artist turned homicidal pyromaniac," she scoffed.

"Insolent child! You shall pay dearly for your disrespect! Still, to honor your ancestry, I will send you to your doom with the beauty of my new firework technique," he exclaimed, his tone now far from calm. He stood up, clapping his hands together and producing a lick of flame from the thick gloves covering them. Jade didn't know how they worked but she didn't care. What she did care about was not getting burnt to a crisp. She wasn't looking to add more burn scars. He released a series of fireballs and she rolled out of the way to take cover behind a decorative slab of rock.

"Ok, he has deadly fireballs and I have nothing," she groused. Her attempt at coming up with a plan was cut short when she heard a war cry followed by a whoosh of heat right over her head. She ducked reflexively and ran for another rock. She peeked over the top to see Kaiden had swiped at her with his blazing hands. She looked carefully to see a tube running from his hands, along his arms, to a tank on his back.

"A fuel line," she realized, her mind now racing with an idea. He charged at her once he saw where she was. She jumped over the rock and charged at him too. When she was close he swiped at her twice but she ducked both, continuing to run past him but sticking out her cane to hook onto one of the lines. She pulled it loose and it sent fuel spraying everywhere. His hand puffed out while the other bloomed under the shower of fuel. He screamed and rushed to get out of the fire spurting machine. Jade watched with a cocked hip, curious to see if he would survive or die trying in the inferno of flames he created. He managed to extract himself and toss the contraption off him. It hit a pillar and exploded on impact, sending them both flying. Jade rolled to a stop and then sat up to see where Kaiden landed. He was struggling to his feet, his flesh burned horribly in some areas. He gasped and fell again.

The pillar cracked and began to crumble, threatening to crush them with the roof falling over their heads. Jade had a momentary lapse of judgment before cursing and running over to help the downed pyromaniac. She forced him to his feet and led them both to the stairs just as the whole thing came down. A tumbling piece of debris rolled down the stairs and knocked them over, forcing them to continue down the steps in a tumbling roll. They hit the bottom hard but Jade didn't let it slow her down. She shoved at the big man until he was out of the way of the incoming rubble and then threw herself out of the way too. She was panting heavily now and sure she acquired more bruises, but they were out of danger. As the dust settled and the noise of falling rocks subsided Jade let herself relax. It was cut short when laced high top black boots clomped over to stop by her head. She opened her eyes to see her savior.

"Thank God. I died and the first thing I see is an angel," she remarked with a tired smile. Inspector Victoria Vega cracked a small smile but Jade could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Vega?" she questioned, pushing herself up so she could stand. She didn't like the feeling she was getting in the pit of her stomach. Tori licked her lips nervously and then held up her pistol.

"You're under arrest, Cooper," she stated, the pain she felt easily recognizable in her brown eyes. Jade stood there, unable to comprehend what was happening.

"Tori…" she whispered, devastated. She wasn't expecting it at all. The betrayal stung her like a slap to the face.

"On your knees," Vega ordered. The rest of the police force arrived at that moment. Jade still hadn't done what she was told so Tori struck her shoulder harshly.

"I said on your knees! Hands behind your back!" she commanded with a scowl, hiding the vulnerability that had been in her expression up until now. Jade crumpled under the blow and fell to her knees, confused and heartbroken. She wanted to cry but knew it was pitiful and weak to do so openly so she let her anger flare instead. She growled and glared while Tori cuffed her hands behind her back.

"I can't **believe** you. I can't believe I ever thought this could work," Jade snarled under her breath so only Tori could hear. The inspector only sighed and pulled her up off the ground. She didn't say anything. Her emotions were running too high to risk it. She was already fighting back tears as it was. Her mind had been racing the whole way there. She wouldn't let Oliver get away with twisting her arm behind her back so she came up with a plan that would hopefully save Jade as well as her job. She would turn in Jade but she wouldn't let her stay captured. She would help bust her out without anyone knowing she had a hand in it, and if that didn't work, then she would have to ditch her job. She would gladly trade it all for Jade. She gripped the thief's shoulder and forced her forward, telling herself over and over again that even this choice was necessary to keep them both out of suspicion.

"I'll handle Cooper. You two collect Kaiden," she told the officers. They nodded and saluted her before doing as they were told. Once their backs had turned, both Jade and Tori walked away with their heads hung low and posture defeated. Tori hated having to do it and Jade began to hate allowing Tori into her heart. They both didn't want this yet they had no choice.


	10. Betrayed, Caged, Forgiven

**It's amazing what you can accomplish with the right motivation...**

* * *

By the next day Jade was stripped of her gear which was confiscated along with her communicator. Robbie only had time to panic and promise that they would bust her out but that was it. She now sat in a temporary cell at the police station back home, waiting for them to do whatever it was they did with thieves like her. She buried her face in her hands and propped her elbows on her knees, her body hunched over. She was tired and her body ached but it was nothing compared to the pain in her heart. She had been betrayed by the one she loved, back-stabbed by the one person outside Robbie and Andre that she thought she could trust. She hadn't allowed herself to cry yet. She was too numb, or possibly too angry, to let that happen. Meanwhile, a few floors above, Tori sat in her office with dried tear tracks down her cheeks. Beckett would be there soon since she had already called him to announce Jade's capture. She rose from her chair and left to clean herself up then returned to sit down just as her door opened. She pushed back a glare, knowing if she acted with hostility he would know right away that she cared for the notorious thief known as Sly Cooper.

"So, it seems I was wrong. My apologies for accusing you," he said, his voice showcasing his satisfaction. She pinched the bridge of her nose, took a breath, and then addressed him.

"Thanks for the apology but whatever you want now, make it fast. I have work to do and the last member of the Talons to put behind bars," she snapped at him. Beck raised a brow at that and Tori narrowed her eyes at him, feeling like she was missing something.

"Someone sounds stressed. You know what fixes that?" he questioned, walking over to sit on her desk. She leaned away from him but didn't answer. In her head, however, she instantly thought of the perfect remedy which was a long night in bed with Jade. Beck looked her in the eyes with what she supposed he thought was a suave smile.

"A night out, just the two of us. Then maybe later we could…" he suggested, snapping her laptop shut when she returned her attention to it, trying to ignore him. She only barely got her fingers off the keyboard in time.

"Forget it, Oliver. I don't like you like that," she told him truthfully. In fact, she wasn't sure she ever liked him at all. He was such an ass from the beginning. She only put up with his crap without complaint to get where she was today.

"Look, Vega, all I'm asking for is a chance," he proposed. Tori shook her head, hating her name coming from his mouth. Jade should be the one sitting there on her desk, a sexy smile on her face, tempting Tori with a night out along with other activities. Beck noticed her faraway expression and slid off the desk with an annoyed sound.

"I actually came to tell you that Cooper is being added to the other prisoners that are going to be shipped off to Yerba. That'll teach her. I'd like to see her break out of there," he informed her, smiling like a cat that got the canary. Except, Tori would always see the thief as a raccoon while she was her fox. At the mention of the infamous prison Tori looked up at Beck, holding back her fear for her lovable thief.

"No, she won't be able to get out of there," she agreed, adding to the sentence in her head that she wouldn't be getting out of there without some help.

"Then, with that, I'll leave you alone. Nice job finally catching her. Everyone is impressed. You know, we want you back. **I **want you back," he said next, taking only two steps to the door before turning to glance at her.

"I'm fine where I am," she replied, curt.

"Are you sure?" he checked.

"I thought you said you would leave me alone now?" she shot back, temper getting the best of her. He raised his hands and nodded once.

"Ok, I'm going," he complied. While he left a devious smile alighted on his face. Behind him, Tori was forcing back tears and covering her face with her hands. He shut the door behind him, but to Tori it sounded like Jade's fate was sealed.

~S~S~S~S~

Officers showed up to remove Jade from her cell. She didn't bother asking questions and let them cart her off. She silently listened to their briefly exchanged words and gathered that she was being shipped off to a place far worse than the local prison. She didn't care. She could only think about Andre and Robbie worrying over her, how sorry she was for her stupid mistake. She didn't let herself think about Tori. Just thinking of her made her flinch and her heart ache even more than it already did. She spent the journey either lost in her head or asleep. She was only aware of the temperature rising suddenly and wondered how much worse it could get. The officers, which she failed to notice were new faces she had never seen before, roughly dragged her from their transportation vehicle to the gates of a giant prison. She glanced up at the huge drab building towering over her and then hung her head again. They checked her in and got her settled so that soon she was sitting in her own cell, staring blankly at the wall in front of her.

Time went by but she didn't move until she felt someone pawing at her. Quick as lightning, she had them grunting in pain with their arm locked behind their back. She added more force and received a crack in return. The person screamed and she was instantly beaten down until she was on the floor spitting blood. She spent some time in a dark, isolated room after that. They didn't let her out until they felt she was calm again. She was returned to her cell along with something to eat but she didn't touch it. Jade lost track of time, not caring one way or another how much of it had gone by. It didn't matter. At one point she was taken outside to get exercise and was promptly bullied by a huge woman. She didn't get much of a reaction from Jade until she shoved the master thief with a big hand covering her face. She hit the ground and glared defiantly up at the brick wall that was supposed to be a woman but was built more like a man. She said something to Jade in a language she didn't understand but she continued to sit there and ignore her.

The woman growled, disliking being ignored, and hauled Jade up by the back of her jumpsuit, planning to inflict pain. Jade lashed out. A jab to the side, a punch to the face, and she was released. However, the woman wasn't done yet. She knocked Jade silly with a backhanded blow to her cheek. The force spun Jade off her feet and she hit the ground hard. By now they had gathered a crowd yet the guards on duty ignored the fight. They only stepped in when it was needed, which was a half hour later when Jade was lying on the ground too beat up to move. Cuts and bruises covered her body, her arm felt vaguely dislocated, and she was pretty sure a tooth might be loose. She had to at least give herself credit for breaking the giant woman's wrist and giving her a bloody nose. She landed other hits that might just bruise later but it was nothing compared to the number done on her. She waited while the guards cleared everyone away before attempting to get up. She propped herself up on her elbows before her body shook and she collapsed.

The guards picked her up off the ground and took her to the medical wing where she was treated and allowed to sleep it off in one of the cots. It had to be the best thing that happened to her so far since the cot was actually more comfortable than the one in her cell. It was either that or she was in too much pain to think anything else could feel worse. When she woke up they returned her to her cell and she went straight back to sleep again. She was jolted awake by a far off sound not too long later. She couldn't pinpoint what it could possibly be so she tried to go back to sleep. What felt like seconds passed when she was roughly shaken awake again. Despite being tired she reacted with violence anyway. What else did she have to lose? She threw off the hands and grabbed for the person's throat, snarling her pent up anger and pain. She slammed the person back against the wall and squeezed tighter, neglecting to notice that she was the only one on the offensive.

"J-Jade, please…" the choked voice pleaded, quickly running out of air. Jade faintly recognized it, her hold relaxing slightly. She squinted through the dark, trying hard to see who it was, but she couldn't see clearly.

"Holy chiz, I thought you were going to kill me," the voice gasped, an unmistakable joking tone Jade was glad to hear. Just his presence made a world of difference to her. She wasn't alone, they had found her, and she was getting the hell out of there.

"Andre," she rasped, her voice weak with disuse.

"You sound horrible. I hope you don't look as bad as you sound," he responded, taking her hand in his to run his thumbs over them soothingly. Her breath hitched as a sob welled in her throat and then she was pulling him into a hug. He held her, feeling like crying himself, but he had to get her out of there first.

"Ok, come on. Robbie is waiting at the front entrance for us. We'll explain everything later," he told her, ushering her towards the cell door. She nodded mutely and let him guide her. They carefully navigated the halls to come out at the entrance. Like Andre said, Robbie stood there fidgeting and wringing his hands like he was about to unknowingly get attacked. When he spotted them he grinned and opened his arms. Jade threw herself at him, crushing him in her grip and he squeaked at the minor pain.

"Wow, I never knew you cared so much," he joked playfully, yet his smile was saddened by Jade's sickly and beaten appearance. She smiled and smacked his arm lightly. The guys scanned outside before they each stood on either side of Jade as they led her around to the edge of the prison yard. There was a hole in the wall at ground level. The guys made Jade slip under first before they followed. On the other side they urgently made a run for it straight into the swirling winds of dust and dirt. Robbie pulled out a device, motioned to Andre, and changed directions. Andre gripped Jade's wrist so he wouldn't lose her in the winds and followed Robbie.

In the sandy expanse Jade felt like they were lost. The dry heat was getting to her at that point and her fatigue was obvious with the way she stumbled every so often. Eventually Andre scooped her up and they continued. She felt better pressed close to him even though it made her hotter than she already was. By the time they found the van where they left it Jade already lost consciousness. Andre passed her to Robbie and he jumped in the back with some difficulty. His scrawny arms and build wasn't as equipped to carry dead weight like Andre was but he needed to start the van and get going as soon as they were inside. Robbie had a container of water and rags at the ready.

She curled on her side the minute she was lain to rest. Robbie sat next to her, brushing away a strand of her dull blue streaked raven hair from her face then pressed a cool, damp rag to her forehead. He hoped she wasn't worse than she looked, which was pretty bad. The combination of heartbreak, undernourishment, and getting beat up had taken a toll on her but the guys knew she was a fighter and would bounce back, even if they weren't so sure one of those three things might not be able to be cured. Andre turned up the air conditioner and listened as Robbie directed him out of the windstorm.

Now it was a matter of getting back home, but they were used to long trips. The current one wouldn't be much of a difference besides tending to Jade and making sure she was doing alright. The night they returned home showed a healthier Jade which was a big contrast to the state she was in when they found her. Now she was talking again. That had been odd for them. They were used to her rants and complaining or joking nature but she had been so silent, only talking when necessary. Color returned to her cheeks and her pasty skin became fair once more. Her dull eyes regained some of its defiant and strong spark even if her abrasiveness didn't come back yet. Her body as a whole healed somewhat and she walked around every chance she got during the breaks they took.

But now that they were home, sneaking in the back door and rushing up the stairs to their loft, Jade kept to herself again. She went to her room and didn't come out for a week. The guys left her alone at first, figuring she just needed time, but when she didn't emerge they took turns bringing her food and trying to talk to her. She was clearly lost in deep thought so they rarely got a response from her. They were happy that she was at least eating. After that first week Robbie and Andre sat down to tell her about the plan they had to bust her out, regardless if she responded to any of it or not.

Andre sat next to Jade and she leaned on him just as silent as ever but she listened. They explained how they started making plans as soon as they could but were interrupted by Inspector Vega. She showed up uninvited with the files from Kaiden as well as anything she could salvage from the evidence safe concerning Jade's gear, which included her trademark cane. They were ready to curse her out, even Robbie, but she begged them to hear what she had to say. After her story and many tears shed they knew what they had to do. They worked together to come up with a plan. Vega had visited the prison once in a while, staying away from Jade to avoid suspicion, and claimed that she was only there to perform a check-up.

With her recent fame she wasn't questioned. She returned with information for Robbie who then moved the plan to phase two. He and Andre secured roles as a security guard and nurse respectively, complimentary of Vega's recommendations. They then worked from the inside out, disabling security and engineering the perfect moment to escape with Jade, even paying out a fortune's worth of money to a lot of the security in order for them to not look for her or turn a blind eye. Andre and Robbie were glad they were so greedy because they didn't think they would truly be able to bust her out without any reaction from them.

They weren't exactly penniless but a lot of their treasures had been sold off to accomplish that kind of payout. Jade showed them how proud she was and how grateful she was for them with a simple smile, loving gaze, and a squeeze of their hands with hers. That was enough for them. Jade didn't want to bring up the Inspector who clearly wanted to right her wrong, but after another week and the guys telling her of Tori's frequent visits to the shop complete with a very unhealthy look about her, she finally gave in. They were all sitting around Jade's room, silent company for their sister and friend when she cleared her throat, surprising the two boys arguing over a game of poker.

"What did she tell you?" Jade inquired quietly. Her voice was so flat and monotonous that it made them frown, but Andre answered her. He knew what she meant and who she was talking about without having to ask.

"She told us she had been blackmailed by her former boss, a guy named Beckett Oliver. He somehow knew about you and her and threatened Tori. If she didn't prove that she had nothing to do with you then he would expose her and she would lose her job. She said she didn't want to do it but her job was her life and it was hard to let go. Only after the weight of her choice began to crush her and doubt clouded her judgment did she realize that, well, **you **were her life now. She felt stupid for giving that up so she came to us for help and to offer her help in return. She had to get you back, Jade. She was desperate. I could see it in everything she did. She really loves you. I'm not defending her but I really think you should talk to her yourself and go from there. It would at least give you guys' some closure. I mean, it's the best way to settle it for good, you know?" he clarified, looking to Jade who was spread out on her bed.

For the first time since she was imprisoned Jade began thinking of Tori. She didn't want to admit it, especially after the apparently fake betrayal, but Jade missed her. She wanted to hate the Latina to the day she died and punish her by ignoring her until that time came, but she couldn't because it would be a punishment for the both of them to endure. After everything she went through she still loved Victoria Vega, and by the sound of it, Tori still loved her too. She had always loved her. It was then and there she decided that she would hear what Vega had to say. She would have to see her for that to happen and she knew just the time and place.

"Ok. I'll think about it," she replied, even though she had already come to a decision. Andre knew it too and just smiled to himself, returning to the game feeling a little lighter. The next night Jade left with the flimsy excuse that she needed a run over the rooftops to clear her head. Andre, as he was always able to do, read her mind and knew that she was going to see Tori. She donned her thief gear and slipped out the back. She made her way onto the roof and stood at the edge, looking out over the city. She adjusted her mask and pulled her cap low over her eyes. No one but the people at that godforsaken prison had seen her without her mask but they never acquired a name and she would keep it that way. Andre and Robbie made sure they would play dumb should anyone ask about her anyway. They were probably rolling in dough right now. She couldn't thank her non-blood related brothers more than she had already, both in her head and out loud. She spun her cane in her hand and then ran with perfect balance across a thick wire to another building.

She hopped, jumped, and leaped from roof to roof until she was standing on the apartment complex she had been looking for. She took the fire escape down to the floor she needed and quietly entered through the window. She stepped into the dim, silent living room while her eyes gravitated to the lone figure slumped over the breakfast bar. She practically hung off the stool she was sitting on. Jade smiled softly just seeing her but quickly traded it for a neutral expression that gave away nothing. She was guarded and had every right to be. She leaned on the wall and loudly cleared her throat, causing Tori to jump at the noise and then scramble to keep herself from falling out of her seat. She tensed and looked over her shoulder, seeing Jade half in shadow and half in light. She cracked a relieved grin but it fell the second she realized how serious Jade looked. Tori ducked her head with guilt. In reality, Jade had all her defenses up while inside she was worried over how worn Tori appeared to be. Andre wasn't kidding. She looked almost as bad as Jade had.

"Jade…" Tori whispered, her voice cracking. Tears welled in her eyes before she slid off the stool and took a step toward the masked figure. Jade stepped back and Tori stopped, her posture bent. She raised a hand and then let it drop, bringing her arms up to hug herself like she was trying to hold herself together. It stabbed at Jade to see her like that but she had to make sure.

"I could have stopped by as a friend, but I'm not even sure if we're that, so I made sure to visit a few places along the way for a quick cash restock," she hinted, moving to fully bathe herself in shadow while she ran a hand over the back of the couch. Tori looked at the floor, her brows slanting down slightly in confusion before tilting back the other way when she understood.

"I know what you're trying to do. I'm not mad. I don't even care about that. I just…I just want to make it up to you. I'd do anything if it meant you'd forgive me," she whispered, biting her lip to keep back more tears. Jade stopped to lean on her cane and watch Tori fall apart. She shook her head.

"You…I loved you, Vega. I loved you and you stabbed me in the back," she stated, forcing the words out through her teeth. They hit Tori like blows and she trembled under each one. Her tears fell faster and she shook her head.

"I know, Jade. I know and I'm so, so sorry," she sobbed.

"Do you know how hard it is for me to trust people? And yet I trusted you so readily. I kept telling myself how stupid I was being, but I was so sure you cared. I told you I loved you and understood when you didn't say it back. I knew you weren't ready, but maybe, you just didn't feel the same," Jade said, starting to pace.

"No, I do feel the same. I love you. I just didn't realize it until…shit. I-I fucked everything up didn't I?" Tori responded, gazing at Jade like she would just disappear any minute. The thief looked up sharply at the hurting inspector. Jade had never heard her swear before and it caught her by surprise.

"What? You've never heard me curse? I'm capable of it. I don't like it but I can," she muttered, catching the shocked look on Jade's face.

"No, I never thought you could. Say more," Jade murmured, cautiously rounding the couch to get a little closer to Tori who rolled her eyes but remained serious.

"Jade, you don't know how sorry I am. I was a complete bitch to you, and I can't even blame that douchebag Beckett because I could have gone against him. I was so fucking scared of losing the one thing I worked my ass off all my life for that I threw you under the bus, which was such a shitty thing to do. I know that, but I'm begging you to please take my sorry ass back. I'll be more than happy to do whatever you want if you could forgive me. Please," Tori complied with two hesitant steps forward, making sure to weave as many curse words as she could in her apology. Jade couldn't fight the amused smile at how many times she swore but she wiped it away as fast as it showed up. They were closer to each other now but at the last minute Jade turned away from Tori whose hope deflated with the action.

"I don't want to forgive you," Jade told her truthfully. Tori nodded and began walking away, needing to let the rest of her tears flow, but Jade snagged her by the collar of her shirt with her cane and yanked her back with a light tug. Tori stumbled back towards Jade who caught her in her arms before she could fall. Tori looked up at Jade with wide eyes but Jade just tossed her cane aside so she could cradle Tori's face in her hands, yearning to have her close again.

"I shouldn't forgive you," Jade rephrased. Tori smiled crookedly and reached up with her right hand to place on Jade's cheek.

"But you can," she recited in return. Now Jade was smiling furtively, one side of her lips quirked up in that endearing way Tori admired.

"I can and I will. Thieving just isn't as fun without you," she confessed, her playful tone finally coming through. Tori giggled, closed her eyes, and brought Jade's face to hers so she could nuzzle Jade's nose with her own.

"I missed you, Tor. Even when I felt betrayed I couldn't help but miss you. I love you," Jade whispered to her, stroking Tori's cheeks with her thumbs.

"I love you too," Tori responded, not missing the chance to tell Jade how she felt. Jade grinned and pressed her lips to Tori's, hands sliding down to pull her flush against her body, fingers gripping at her upper back in her desperation. Tori wrapped her arms around Jade's waist and melted into her embrace. The kiss remained simple yet tender, and when they parted, Tori began to cry. Jade's hand drifted down to rest at the small of her back while the other lifted to wipe at Tori's cheeks.

"Don't cry. Everything will be all right," she mumbled, kissing Tori's nose gently.

"I know, but that's why I'm crying," Tori said, making Jade chuckle at her ridiculousness. When Tori calmed herself she looked into Jade's clear eyes and held out a hand for her to take. Gloved, pale skin met exposed, tan without hesitation and intertwined. The gesture brought a smile to both their faces. Tori pulled Jade along behind her, heading for her room. She gave Jade something comfortable to wear and they got dressed in silence. Jade set aside her clothes on the dresser and then joined Tori in bed. They automatically reached for each other and made sure they had a good hold before relaxing. Neither one of them ever wanted to let go of the other. They slept through the night in the comfort of each other's arms, silently vowing to protect each other and never take the love they had for granted. Jade wouldn't ever question Tori's feelings for her and Tori wouldn't ever forget to show Jade how much she meant to her. They both learned a lesson through their mistakes and they were never going to make the same one twice.


	11. Reunited

**I'm really unhappy with how long I let this sit unfinished so I'm going to update every 2-3 days in order to finally get it done. That being said, keep an eye out for frequent updates.**

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When morning came Jade woke up to a weight on her she hadn't been prepared for. She opened her eyes to see Tori's peaceful and totally adorable face resting on her chest. Her arms held Jade and she returned the protective embrace, supportive even in sleep. Tori's leg was hooked on Jade's and she was snoring softly. To Jade, it was an adorable sound to wake up to. She smiled and ran her fingers through Tori's hair, just admiring her features. Tori wasn't a heavy sleeper so she was soon woken by Jade's touch.

"Morning. Oh, wow, that feels good," she murmured, her words muffled in the shirt Jade wore. The thief chuckled and rolled them over so that she could pin Tori to the bed. Before she could say anything her lips were occupied. Jade kissed her with the utmost love and happiness and Tori made sure to return it even if she had just woken up and was running a little slow.

"Morning. So, how was that for a wake-up call?" Jade asked, watching with fascination as a blush colored Tori's cheeks and a light bloomed in her soft brown eyes.

"That was great," she commented. Jade quickly kissed her again but with more passion, her body unconsciously reacting to the heat they produced together. When they broke apart that time Tori was panting.

"And that?" Jade gasped, out of breath.

"Perfect," Tori choked out, unable to say more. Jade laughed and started kissing down her neck, her hands sliding down Tori's sides and bringing a groan to her lips. Jade caught her eyes and smirked, Tori humming appreciatively at the sight.

"There's that sexy smirk I like so much," she pointed out.

"What, this one?" Jade questioned innocently. The smirk unintentionally grew with her words, becoming more than sexy. It was utterly arousing.

"Yeah, that one," Tori confirmed with a nod. Jade shook her head, pushed up Tori's shirt, and proceeded to press loving kisses to her taut stomach. Tori melted under her touch and closed her eyes but they flew open a second later.

"Shit, what time is it?" she asked, propping herself up on her elbows.

"Geez Tori, language. It's hot and all but try not to work me up so quickly," Jade joked, leaning in to kiss Tori's jaw.

"No Jade, I'm serious. I think I'm late for work. I didn't set my alarm last night and-" Tori tried to say, but Jade cut her off with her mouth. Tori's worry was effortlessly subdued.

"Take a day off and call in sick," Jade advised, ghosting across Tori's collarbone with her index finger. Her lips were a taunting inch away.

"Ok," Tori breathed, giving in without a second thought. Tori made the call and then they continued to heavily make out until Tori wanted to start her morning routine by taking a shower. Jade complained but let her up after a few more kisses to butter her up. Tori was just about to get in the shower when Jade slipped in the bathroom, already pulling off her clothes.

"I locked the door," Tori pointed out in temporary confusion.

"I'm a master thief. I can turn almost anything into a lock pick. Now get in there so I can wash you," Jade replied, walking over to the shower. Tori grinned and did as she was told. In all fairness Jade did wash Tori but she followed it up with marking her shoulder while she took her against the wall. Tori made sure to repay her with the same treatment. After their longer than necessary, but much appreciated, shower Tori made breakfast. They ate, accompanied by small talk, and then ended up caught in kisses again. This time Tori had Jade seated on the table while she stood between her legs. They would have gotten carried away but when the coffee machine announced that it was done Jade couldn't resist a cup. Tori laughed at her adorably content face after that first sip. They turned on a movie to watch while Jade went through two cups of coffee, and then before any of them knew it, the movie was ignored in favor of heated kissing and wandering hands. It seemed like forever and they couldn't resist showing how much love they held for the other.

After so long apart they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Tori mentioned it being roughly a month, two weeks, three days, twenty hours, fifty two minutes, and thirty seconds. They wanted nothing more than to make up for all the lost time. Jade's coffee flavored tongue was now busy sliding over Tori's mint green tea flavored tongue while their hands slid onto the most sensitive parts of each other's body. Jade had Tori under her, hips rocking when Tori nipped at a spot on her neck and her nails dragged down her bare back. Tori's shirt was already off too but Jade didn't get any farther than that with Tori distracting her. Her hips rolled again and she whimpered. Tori sensed her rising need and did the honors of ridding them both of the last of their clothes. Jade got up to take them back to bed but they didn't even make it there with Tori constantly becoming a distraction. They ended up on the floor with Tori straddling Jade, pressing her into the floor with her hands while her hips rocked, causing her lithe form to flex. Jade groaned at the sight and gripped Tori's waist to help her along.

"I don't think I mentioned how much I like it on the ground. How kinky of you, Vega," Jade mumbled tauntingly, silenced with an open mouthed kiss. Jade's hand slid up to grip behind her neck to keep her there before letting Tori pull away, keeping her hand in place. The other was bruising tan skin at her waist with how hard she was gripping, but Tori didn't care.

"I could tell from that time on the roof. Although we weren't technically on the ground it was about the same. If you wanted kinky you should have let me take you on the table," Tori responded, making sure to whisper the last part in Jade's ear. The thief shuddered and grabbed Tori's waist with both hands so that she could hold her steady while she ground their hips together. Tori arched her back and cried out.

"So that's what you were planning," Jade panted, letting Tori wind down enough to answer, but she just nodded while biting her lip from the pleasure. Jade growled and pushed off the floor, preparing to get up. Tori locked her legs around Jade and let her take her to bed. Jade set her down and settled between her legs. Their mouths met in a flurry then their hands got back to work. They made love, taking their time, making it languid and tender but just as passionate in its own way. When they finished that time, groaning the other's name, they finally called it a day. They had no idea how long they had been going at it, since Jade didn't let Tori see the time so she hadn't either, but by the way their bodies sunk into the bed with exhaustion it was probably a long time. They fell asleep curled up next to each other and woke up late at night, a complete cycle. Jade reluctantly got out of bed to get dressed. She shook Tori awake to say good-bye before she had to leave.

"Tori. Hey, I have to get going," Jade said in a low voice, love for her in every word out of her mouth. The inspector yawned, stretched, and then whined.

"Do you have to?" she asked, opening her eyes and running a hand through her mussed hair. Jade smiled and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, but I'm sure we'll see each other again soon. I love you, Tori. Get some rest. You'll need it for next time," Jade teased. Tori laughed and grabbed Jade by the front of her shirt to kiss her on the lips one last time.

"Love you too. Stay safe and be careful," she advised, gazing into Jade's eyes.

"Safe is my middle name," Jade replied with a shrug.

"Sure it is," Tori answered with a laugh.

"Ok, you caught me. It's August, but whatever. Same difference," the master thief continued to joke lightly.

"Don't think I haven't done my researching Jade August West. The guys have told me a lot about you," she warned just as playfully. Jade made a mental note to prank the two blabber mouths. It wasn't that she didn't want Tori to know about her, and she liked that she had spent time with the guys, but it was just in her nature to get payback.

"Oh, I know you have. Don't worry. I'll be careful," she assured, her voice going from carefree and playful to soft and sincere.

"Ok then. See you soon," Tori relented. Jade turned to leave but stopped at the doorway.

"Hey, what's **your** middle name?" she questioned curiously.

"Danger," Tori joked with a raised brow. Jade chuckled and shook her head.

"No really," she said, waiting patiently for the actual answer.

"Marie," she answered. Jade smiled, happy to uncover more about the woman she loved.

"See you later Victoria Marie Vega," she said in farewell. Tori smiled, enjoying her full name on the thief's lips. Jade tipped her cap and left the room, picking up her cane from the living room, and then jumped out the window. She shut it behind her and made her way to the roof. She took the same route but in reverse and ended up on the roof of the bookstore right when the sun was rising. She stopped to watch it before heading inside. She was surprised to see that Andre and Robbie were up. They must have been waiting for her. They took one look at her disheveled appearance and smirked.

"You two good now?" Robbie asked knowingly.

"Very much so, but you two won't be," Jade cautioned them idly, heading for her room, completely at ease as to not alarm them too early.

"What? Why?" Andre wondered, only mildly concerned.

"A fox told me you two have been spilling information on a certain raccoon," Jade replied, leaning on the doorway to the hall.

"Oh, uh, you know, foxes can be crafty. It's probably false information," Robbie stuttered while Andre nodded along with him.

"Not this one. I'll think up what to do to you while I take a shower," Jade planned, shooting them a sneaky grin before walking away. The guys exchanged worried looks but then smiled. Despite getting pranked at a random moment's notice, they were overjoyed to see Jade so happy. They hadn't seen her truly happy in so long that it was a relief and weight off their shoulders. They went to sleep easily and woke later that day with sharpie doodles all over their faces done in blue ink. They walked into the kitchen to be greeted with plates loaded with food and Jade trying to keep a straight face, but her eyes gave away her hidden laughter. They just rolled with it and dug in. Jade joined them with her usual cup of coffee, chuckling once in a while under her breath. Eventually the guys saw each other's faces and twin expressions of shock were exchanged before they shot glares at Jade.

"What? I said I would get you back," Jade told them with a shrug. Robbie and Andre only sighed and made a note to clean up extra while losing any irritation they might have felt. A pranking Jade was a content Jade, so even though it wasn't as fun for them, it meant their leader was in a good mood. Besides, most of her pranks were harmless. It was the meaner ones that told of her anger or true intention to harm. They had gotten that in the past, rarely, but enough to know the difference. When they were done eating and the guys were free of sharpie they sat Jade down to show her what they had put together with Tori's help.

"What is all this?" she asked as she watched them sort through it.

"It's all the files, documents, and papers we gathered so far from each member of the Talons," Andre answered.

"We really had this much information?" Jade questioned.

"Well, I added to it a little once I figured out what the encoded coordinates as well as riddle meant," Robbie spoke up. Jade's eyes widened and she turned to the brains of the group.

"What was it?" she asked him. Robbie smiled and then passed the answer to her without a word. Jade took the papers and shuffled through them, trying to understand what his scrawled notes meant. There was a map marked up and a page from her family book, underlined and marked up similarly to match with the coded papers they found. Slowly but surely, Jade made sense of it all. When the answer finally stared her in the face she grew excited.

"This is my family's legendary Vault, the one that has all our most precious stolen artifacts, isn't it?" she spoke in a voice full of awe. Robbie nodded and Andre smiled.

"They passed the location down to you. Now that you own it you can fill it with your own treasures. It must be why the Talons stole the pages in the first place, to learn more than just the secret skills your family possessed," Andre stated. Jade set the paper down and ran a hand through her newly touched up bright blue streaked hair.

"I can't believe it. I really can't. But wait, do you think they figured this out already?" she wondered, slightly worried. Robbie's brows creased before he scoffed at the notion.

"Yeah, like any of them were as smart as me," he pointed out.

"The Owl might be," Andre remarked.

"The Owl?" Jade questioned, unfamiliar with the name.

"Tori told us about the leader of the Talons named The Owl, which makes sense because you know, they're the talons of the owl, see?" Robbie rambled. Jade rolled her eyes and gave him a look that told him to move on. Robbie complied under her light glare.

"Well, Tori had overheard some inmates talking about The Owl the few times she was at the prison checking up on you. Word is, he's been working hard to find your family's Vault and take everything from you to get back at your family for ruining the thieving empire his own family had," he explained.

"I did hear that we've been at each other's throats for a long time but that's the game we play. My family was always the best thieves. But who is he? Did she not find out?" Jade responded.

"No one knows who he is. He's so elusive not many even know **of** him. The few that do only know he leads the Talons, but that's it," Andre answered, Robbie nodding along. Jade hummed thoughtfully and brought a hand to her chin.

"He's a coward. Why not face me like a man?" she spat.

"Probably because it's easier for him to get the drop on you and harder for you to return fire," Andre suggested. Jade huffed out a frustrated breath and then stood to pace.

"He can't be that hard to find. Think about it, where would you hide if you were a criminal who wanted to remain under the radar?" Jade proposed. The two thought about it before Robbie lit up with the answer.

"Right under the enemy's nose!" he exclaimed.

"Exactly. And where would that be in this situation?" Jade asked next.

"Working with the cops," Andre supplied. Jade nodded with an accomplished smile.

"Doesn't seem like such a good idea now, does it?" Robbie stated.

"Nope," both Jade and Andre replied. At that moment, Robbie's laptop let out a chime that told him he had a message. He stood and walked over to the table where it sat. Jade followed him to look over his shoulder. Robbie saw her coming and tried to block her view but eventually she just pushed him aside altogether.

"What are you trying to hide?" she demanded when he quickly threw himself in front of the screen once again, dramatically flinging out his hands to stop Jade.

"N-nothing, just a private message," he stuttered, beginning to blush. Jade rolled her eyes and pretended to walk away but rushed him when he dropped his defenses. She pushed him out of the way long enough to see who the message was from. It was someone named Penelope.

"Who's this?" she asked him, slightly suspicious.

"A friend," Robbie shot back defensively, covering the screen again.

"You better not be telling her anything just because you like her and she seems nice or so help me I'll-" Jade began to threaten. She had no tolerance for betrayal of any kind now that she had already been burned by it once. Well, it wasn't a real betrayal but that didn't mean it hurt less.

"Penelope is Robbie's online friend. She claims to work with the cops and gave us information when we were making plans to bust you out. She says she knows Tori too," Andre butt in, hoping to calm the fires of Jade's quickly rising temper. The fact that she knew Tori was enough to interest Jade further but she was still wary.

"And you just trust her?" Jade demanded.

"Without her it would have been harder for us to rescue you. She's a crazy good hacker," he replied.

"So then why the hell is Robbie being so defensive? It made me think you guys were hiding something from me," she grumbled, arms crossed.

"I, um, I might like her," Robbie confessed, surprisingly. Jade looked at him skeptically, trying to see if what he said was the truth. When all he did was blush some more and Andre chuckled, she knew he was telling the truth. How could she ever have doubted their motives?

"Oh, so you have a little nerd crush?" Jade teased, pinching Robbie's cheek. He pulled away and grumbled incoherently under his breath.

"Let's see what she has to say then," she allowed, gesturing to the message on the screen. Robbie pushed up his glasses on his nose and then turned to read what she sent him.

"She said she's been trying to find out more about The Owl and talked to Beckett Oliver about any possible leads she could follow to catch him. She said he just redirected the topic and told her he was personally looking into the matter. She feels he's either covering something or wants all the credit for taking him down," Robbie paraphrased.

"You know what I think? I think that bastard **is** him," Jade growled. She might not like cops, or any authority really, but she hated cops that had gone bad even more. She always had a sense of loyalty and duty so the thought of someone who was supposed to uphold the law and make the world a better, safer place was in fact making it worse, grated on her like an annoying noise. The only annoying sound that came to mind was that of a dog licking itself. Just the thought made her shudder in disgust.

"I agree," Andre added. Robbie nodded and turned away from the computer.

"She's going to try and dig up anything else," he shared. Jade took a seat on the couch and let out a sigh. At that moment the door opened. Jade jumped to her feet, body tense, but she relaxed when Tori walked in.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, a soft quality to her tone as well as smile that spread on her face. Tori's bright smile greeted her in return.

"I worked in another day off so I thought I'd drop by with some food and see where we stand as a group," she replied. Andre and Robbie snagged the bags of food she held and set up on the table eagerly but Jade stayed where she was, raising a brow at them.

"They've gotten awfully comfortable with you barging in here," she commented, crossing her arms. Tori averted her eyes, smile becoming hesitant as she tucked back a lock of her hair.

"Yeah, I started bringing them a peace offering every time I came to talk and I guess it just became a habit," she explained. Jade advanced on her and stopped right in front of the strangely nervous law enforcer. Jade liked seeing the normally confident woman squirm under her sharp gaze. She let a few seconds more pass before allowing a smile.

"Well, men can't very well turn down food, can they? They would sell me out for a sandwich if they could," Jade commented playfully. Andre turned to look at her with a mouth full of sandwich.

"What a coincidence," she said with a disappointed shake of her head. Andre swallowed the large bite and smiled.

"Which means she's all yours, Tori," he said, gesturing to Jade with the sandwich. Tori laughed and then fixed Jade with an unexpected smirk that made her gulp. The uncertainty was suddenly gone without a trace. She took a step closer to Jade and slipped her hand in hers so that their fingers locked together.

"You heard him," she mumbled, bringing her lips within inches of Jade's own. The thief was almost instantly entranced. Tori chuckled and then sealed their lips with a long but chaste kiss. When they parted Jade pretended to pout.

"You guys suck. It's unfair," she bemoaned. They laughed and Tori smiled. It was like she had effortlessly inserted herself in their small family. They worked off one another so well. Now all that needed to be done was work Trina in there somewhere. Jade thought about that before dismissing it. That would definitely take a little more work, respect, tolerance, and patience. But having Tori without Trina wasn't going to be possible for long, so she admitted to herself that somewhere along the line it had to happen. She pushed the thought away for now and opted to spend some quality time with the only people she held close to her heart.


	12. Plans

Their brief moment of teasing one another came to an end when Tori noticed the message Robbie received on his computer. It was still displayed on the screen and the sender seemed familiar. Her eyebrows came together in recognition and then she turned to the three thieves.

"Hey, was this sent to you Robbie?" she asked him.

"Yeah, why?" he replied.

"Penelope…I think I know her," she responded.

"You do?" he said with unhindered excitement. Andre and Jade snickered quietly at his exuberance.

"She's a good friend of mine. She used the name Penelope as a cover online since she's an experienced hacker," Tori confirmed.

"Wait, she's your friend?" Jade spoke up curiously.

"Mhm. She works in my old department. Her real name is Catarina Valentine but most call her Cat. Has she been your outside source you mentioned before?" Tori elaborated. Robbie and Andre nodded.

"Damn, I always seem to underestimate her. She's been helping us the whole time. But how did she know to contact you?" Tori wondered.

"Maybe we should pay her a visit and find out?" Jade suggested.

"Ooh, ooh! Yes, let's do that! I'll get the gear packed!" Robbie exclaimed, running out of the room but getting yanked back by Jade's hand on his collar.

"On second thought, I'll pay her a visit. Vega, her address if you will," Jade requested. Tori wrote it down and Jade took it then left to pack her gear. When she came back out Andre was ready to go as well.

"I'll drive you. Tori can stay to keep an eye on Robbie," he said with a glance at Robbie who frowned and crossed his arms.

"I can look after myself," he replied petulantly.

"Sure you can. Come on, Andre. Let's go see what we can find out," Jade said while heading for the door. Tori gave her a wave and she returned it with a smile.

"Be right back," Andre said in farewell, joining Jade at the door. They left and headed down the stairs to the back door.

"Jade! Where do you think you're going?!" Trina's shrill voice hollered, stopping them from taking another step. Jade cringed and turned with a sigh to face Trina who was stomping over to her.

"I haven't seen you in months! You haven't even checked in with me! Not even these dimwits, or frankly, not even Tori, told me anything!" she ranted, slapping Andre's arm in the process.

"Hey," Andre stated with a small, offended crease of his brows.

"Where were you!?" Trina continued without apologizing or even looking at him. Her eyes were still focused on Jade.

"I got really sick the last time I was out. I could barely leave my bed. I don't know what the hell it was but I'm glad it didn't kill me. You could at least be happy about that," Jade retorted. A look crossed Trina's face that caught Jade's attention. She looked, was it…concerned? Was her anger just a cover up for the worry she felt?

"Oh, well, next time at least give me a heads up," she mumbled, looking away. Jade smirked and stepped forward to nudge Trina's shoulder.

"Aww, did you worry about me?" she teased.

"No…shut up," Trina snapped back stubbornly, but she didn't sound convincing.

"It's ok, I get it. You aren't supposed to show you care about me but I think we both know the truth. Your secret is safe with me," Jade continued to taunt. She gave Trina a wink and then looked to Andre.

"Let's go," she told him. He nodded, waved at Trina, and trailed after Jade out the back door. They took turns gearing up in the back of the van and then Andre started it up while Jade took a seat in the passenger side. Jade gave Andre the address and he drove them to their destination. Once they arrived they parked in a nearby alley and Andre stayed behind in case a quick escape was needed. Jade continued on, scaling the fire escape to enter the correct apartment. She quietly slid open the window, entered, and closed it behind her. Cat was just walking into the living room from the hall and gasped when she spotted Jade but her temporary surprise quickly dissipated and interest replaced it.

"Sly Cooper, what are you doing here?" she questioned Jade like they were already good friends. She even sounded a little scolding with her hands on her hips and a frown on her face. It made Jade look at her oddly before shaking off her shock.

"I thought I'd stop by and congratulate Penelope on a job well done," she replied, moving to perch on the arm of the couch. She leaned on her cane and watched Cat walk further into the room to stand in front of her.

"You're welcome. Glad I could help," she responded with a friendly smile.

"So, when did you decide to help a known band of thieves?" Jade inquired.

"I'm good friends with Tori. I'm sure you know that now or else you wouldn't be here," she began. Jade nodded and waited for her to continue.

"I know how Tori is. When she began to show signs of distress I figured it had something to do with you," she went on.

"Why is that?" Jade wondered with a tilt of her head and furrowed brows that wrinkled her mask.

"All she was ever interested in was you. She wanted to catch you and failed. She met the real you and fell for you. I was there every step of the way, reading her like a book, supporting her when she needed it. Eventually she told me about you two," she explained. Jade quickly grew angered by the confession. Cat caught on and rushed to cut her off before she could start.

"Keep in mind I kinda already came to that conclusion on my own but I wanted to make sure so I questioned her nonstop until she told me," she said, looking away with somewhat of a guilty expression. Jade forced down angry words and cleared her head in order to continue.

"So, what, you decided that you would help the moment you found out I had been caught?" she questioned. Cat nodded.

"Yes. Your capture was all anyone talked about. Tori was highly congratulated. Although now, I'm sure they already got wind of your escape. They can't very well believe you would stay captured for long, could they?" she pointed out with a shrug.

"I was close to not wanting freedom. I was close to giving up. I might have just stayed where I was if it wasn't for my team physically dragging me out," Jade muttered, looking down at the soft carpet underfoot.

"She really hurt you, didn't she?" Cat asked, honest sympathy in her tone. Jade only nodded.

"It really hurt her too. You know, even though she told me she cared for you, she never even told me your real name. She always spoke about you with this adoring little smile and simply called you Cooper. It was really cute. So don't ever think she sold you out, because in the end, she didn't even tell her closest friend who you really are," she stated clearly. Jade's eyes flew back up to stare at the friendly cop before her.

"She didn't?" Jade asked, not able to fully believe it just yet. Cat shook her head. Jade smiled to herself and closed her eyes with a shake of her own head.

"Ah Vega, she just won't seem to stop surprising me," she mumbled. Cat giggled.

"You and me both," she agreed.

"Ok then, let's say I trust you. How do I know you won't turn us all in?" Jade interrogated.

"I would have already, wouldn't I?" Cat replied.

"Not good enough. You could be setting us up," Jade countered.

"Then why would I help rescue you?" she retorted.

"Maybe to get me where I need to be," Jade dismissed. Cat crossed her arms and frowned.

"Cooper, I'm really trying to help. My intuition may seem phony but it's all I've got. It's the only thing that really helps me do what I do best. I rely on it all the time. My gut instinct told me Tori cared for you, guided me when your team needed me the most, and even set off alarms the more I looked into my so called boss' plans. Something's up with him and I want to know what. I don't like the thought of a bad person running a good cause. Now, you can either trust me and accept my help or disregard me and walk away," she stated evenly, her airy voice suddenly becoming bold.

"Well, I shouldn't turn down more help. Is this the kind of motivational talk you give Vega when she's being stubborn?" Jade wondered, slightly teasing with a smirk on her face.

"Of course. You know how she can get," she replied. Jade chuckled but nodded.

"I do," she agreed.

"I can continue to watch Beck and let you guys know when something comes up," she suggested.

"I was told that you think he's somehow involved in all this," Jade mentioned.

"He is. I can feel it. He's so shifty when it comes to any mention of the Talons or The Owl," she confirmed.

"Do you think he could be The Owl?" Jade suggested. Cat looked utterly lost in thought for a few seconds before beginning to nod her head.

"No, yeah, he could be," she acknowledged.

"Well, find out as much as you can. Stay in touch," Jade told her, standing up to head back to the window.

"Ok," she responded. Jade stopped on her way out and looked back at their new ally.

"And Cat, if you ever want to meet Bentley, ask to meet up. I'm sure he'll love to," she remarked with a wink that made Cat blush. She nodded hastily and Jade left. She made her way back down to the van and jumped in, slightly startling Andre.

"Oh, it's you," he said in relief. Jade shot him a reprimanding glare for not remaining alert but ignored it in favor of sharing what she learned. Meanwhile, Andre started up the van and drove them back home, listening intently the whole way.

"So we can trust her?" Andre asked, happy with the news.

"It seems so. I bet Robbie will be ten times happier," she said with a smirk, making Andre laugh. He opened his mouth to start joking back when his eyes caught trouble in the rear view mirror.

"Damn. How did they know where we were?" he wondered, slightly anxious. Jade frowned, took a look in the side view mirror, and cursed. Two squad cars were tailing them.

"Hang on," Andre warned her before suddenly taking a sharp turn down a different street. Jade kept an eye on their pursuers while Andre tried to shake them off.

"They're persistent. You'll have to try a little harder," she told him. He nodded and hit the gas, swerving around a car and blowing across an intersection that was just turning red. The cops skid around traffic and one was lost but the other kept on them. Andre quickly slid between cars and squeezed through an opening between two trucks before careening around a corner. It was a close call but something they needed because the cop car didn't make it through. Jade watched as it swerved to avoid collision and then skid to a stop. She smiled and turned to fist bump Andre.

"Nice driving," she complimented.

"The best there is," he replied. Jade looked behind them one more time before sitting back in her seat. Andre took the fastest route back home and hid the van better before they changed and got out. They burst inside the bookstore and ran upstairs to enter the loft. Both Tori and Robbie looked up at them questioningly.

"What happened?" Tori asked, worry in her tone as she stood.

"They knew we were there," Jade answered.

"The cops?" Robbie questioned.

"Yeah, we had to play a little hot pursuit to get them off of us," Andre confirmed.

"How would they even know to look for you there? Unless…" Tori speculated. Jade caught on to her train of thought.

"Unless they're watching Cat's place. He must be suspicious of her," Jade concluded. Tori nodded.

"I knew he was already suspicious of me, which is why he tried to blackmail me. He said he had ways to spy on me and he's no doubt using the same resources on Cat. It makes sense. She is my friend after all," Tori explained.

"We need to come up with a plan to expose him, and fast. He holds more power than we do. He could send us all to jail faster than we can send him," Robbie told them. Silence fell on the room until an idea came to Jade.

"I think I know what we can do," she announced.

"What?" Andre wondered.

"We have the location of my family's Vault, right? If that's what he's after, then we'll give it to him," Jade began.

"What?!" everyone exclaimed in surprise at the same time.

"Look, if he's really spying on us then he already knows who we are. The reason he hasn't turned any of us in is to mess with us, wait for us to slip up, and then ship us all off when we do," Jade continued. Tori nodded.

"That does sound like him," she commented spitefully.

"All we have to do is purposely give him the needed information, beat him there, and then wait for him to show up. Once he does, we get the jump on him, make him confess, and then drop him off at the police station along with the evidence and he's history," Robbie outlined.

"That's easier said than done, Rob," Jade told him.

"How would you go about giving him the information?" Tori inquired.

"Well, if he's using Cat to keep tabs on us then why don't you mention going on a vacation or something to Cat? He'll catch wind and come running but we'll already be there waiting for him," he replied.

"What, and I can't be there too?" Tori demanded, hands on her hips.

"You'd be better off here," Jade cut in. Tori now turned on Jade.

"Better off? Am I in your way?" she asked, slightly offended.

"No, it's just that, I want you safe," Jade admitted, stepping closer to gently give Tori's hand a squeeze. Their eyes met and Tori deflated.

"But I want to help you catch him. If Beck really is The Owl, then this is your number one enemy. I want to be there with you when you face him," she insisted.

"And I want you here where he can't use you against me. I'll have enough to worry about with the guys," Jade countered. Andre and Robbie remained quiet before Andre cleared his throat.

"Rob and I are gonna go and grab us some dinner. Any suggestions?" he stated, grabbing Robbie and dragging him to the door while he protested being man handled.

"You're hungry again?" Jade asked him. He merely shrugged.

"Fine. Get anything," she relented, waving them away. Andre nodded and left with Robbie dragged out behind him.

"Jade," Tori began, but the thief shook her head and walked away, heading to her room. Tori followed, unwilling to let it go. Jade stepped into her room just as Tori grabbed her wrist.

"I'm a direct link to the cops. The real, untainted cops. As soon as we have him where we want him I can call it in-" she pressed, but Jade cut her off.

"I don't want you there. I already said it's too dangerous," she firmly decided.

"Yeah? Well I know where it's located. I don't need your permission to go there by myself," she threatened. Jade entered her personal space.

"Stay, Vega," she growled. Tori stared her down.

"No. I'm helping you whether you like it or not," she responded, unyielding.

"You just don't know when to quit," Jade spat.

"I wouldn't be in this business if I didn't," she replied evenly.

"You hot-headed fox," Jade insulted.

"You foolish raccoon," Tori retorted.

"It would be so much easier to hate you," Jade seethed, grabbing Tori by her tan jacket and shoving her back against the wall.

"But you don't, and it can be easier this way if you let it," Tori replied, placing her hands over Jade's tight-fisted ones. She looked into Tori's fiery gaze and melted.

"It's fun getting you angry," she remarked, her smirk appearing.

"Fun for you. I don't like being mad at you," Tori responded.

"But it gives us a reason to make up," Jade pointed out slyly, brushing Tori's slightly smiling lips with her own.

"So now that I know your tricks I don't think I'll be fooled again," Tori said, kissing Jade lightly before pulling away. Jade hummed happily and loosened her hold a little.

"Oh, you will," she guaranteed.

"You seem so sure," Tori replied, sounding skeptical.

"I'm always sure," Jade stated certainly.

"Oh, are you?" Tori responded.

"Yeah, for the most part," Jade confirmed with an easy going shrug. Tori chuckled and shook her head then pushed Jade away. She looked at Tori with slight confusion before a crooked smile came to her face. She reached out and pulled Tori flush against her, their noses touching.

"Jade?" Tori whispered.

"Hm?" she hummed, more interested in the feel of Tori against her while her hand stroked her skin at the hem of her shirt.

"Be careful," Tori advised. Jade nodded and Tori closed the distance between them. The chaste kiss ended earlier than they planned when they heard the door open. Jade groaned and stepped away from her just in time.

"We're coming in! Fair warning!" Robbie called to them.

"Hope you kept your clothes on!" Andre added. They laughed and Jade shook her head but she was still smiling. She took Tori by the hand and together they met up with the other two. They sat down to eat and enjoy light, playful conversation before Tori had to head home. She would have to return to work the next day and she planned on waking up early to stop by her old police department to talk to Cat. It was the first step to their plan, and an essential one. So reluctantly, she left, giving Jade a single kiss. Jade watched her go, hoping to see her again soon.

~S~S~S~S~

As Tori had planned, she woke up bright and early to pay Cat a visit. She entered the building to friendly smiles and welcomed greetings which she returned. She knew that most wanted her back after her temporary success with catching Sly Cooper, but she was happy where she was, away from Beckett Oliver. But now she was back to do the total opposite. She sought out Cat's office and entered quickly, knowing Beck's office was right next store. His door was open but she didn't bother checking if he was there. If he saw her or heard from others that she was there then he would show up when he wanted to.

"Tori, hi! I wasn't expecting you!" Cat stated happily, rising from her chair to give Tori a hug.

"I haven't seen you as much as I'd like so I thought I would stop by. How are you?" Tori replied, pulling away from the hug to take a seat. Cat sat down in her chair and shrugged.

"I'm ok. I actually wanted to talk to you," she said. Tori tilted her head in interest.

"What about?" she asked, wondering if it was what she expected it to be about.

"I wanted to say I'll help any way that I can but I'm being watched. I don't have proof but I can feel it," Cat whispered, leaning forward slightly.

"I know, but I also know that I can count on you, Cat. Besides checking up on you I wanted to let you know I'm going on vacation soon. I can't tell you where and I also can't tell you when I'll be back," Tori shared. She planned on really being there too.

"Does it have to do with…" Cat began. Tori nodded.

"Ok then, stay safe," she said, standing for another hug. Tori complied and then left Cat's office to run right into Beck.

"Victoria, nice seeing your face around here again. Mind if we talk?" he requested, gesturing to his office. Tori shifted away from him, her gaze scanning his a moment before nodding and walking in. Beck followed, shutting the door behind him and making her already tense posture worsen.

"Checking up on Cat?" he asked casually, brushing past her to sit on his desk facing her.

"Yeah," she replied.

"I hear you and Cat are still close. She mentioned you're seeing someone. That's a shame. I always wanted to ask you out myself," he remarked. Tori's eyes narrowed somewhat and she bit her tongue to stop herself from lashing out at him.

"Yes. I'm seeing someone," she responded simply.

"Well isn't that a shame? Oh well, I guess starting a relationship with you really wouldn't work with what I have in mind anyway," he mentioned, a distrustful undertone to his voice.

"What do you mean?" Tori asked, now on edge. Beck stood and rushed her before she could react. He hooked his arm around her neck and stood behind her to hold both her hands in a vice grip behind her back. She struggled and tried to kick back at him but he forced her forward and slammed her on the desk.

"You know, I didn't think you would really try to prove me wrong by handing over Cooper. That surprised me. I bet she hated you for that," he taunted, leaning over her so that he snarled the words in her ear.

"What do you have against Cooper?" Tori demanded, still trying to get free but failing. Beck's grip was too strong.

"Everything! My family lost everything to hers. They may not all go by the name Cooper but I know their real name and I vowed to get back at them," he snapped. Tori's eyes widened in shock. Her silence tipped Beck off to her surprise.

"Did you think I was ignorant to her identity all this time? I knew who she was but it wasn't like they would just take my word for it. I needed proof, so I joined my enemy, hid in their ranks to cover my tracks and have the tools necessary to catch Cooper. I never gave up on my true allies. The Talons are my own group in place of my family and with them I've hunted down and brought every West to their knees. This one will be no different. I'll get her and you won't stand in my way. In fact, you'll be the one to bring her too me, as you were supposed to do in the beginning!" he revealed, tightening his hold. She sucked in a pained breath.

"I won't bring her to you," she growled.

"Whether you tricked her or stupidly fell for her and became bait was never the problem. It's dealing with you in the first place. You're a nuisance. Like your old man. I'll be sure to dispose of you when the time is right, just as my father did when yours stuck his nose in things that didn't concern him," he stated hatefully, smirking cruelly when Tori's expression contorted into a pained grimace of sadness. Despite her aching heart she pulled back on an angry scowl. She couldn't let him get to her.

"You won't get away with this, Beckett. You won't win!" Tori yelled at him. Beck flung her on the desk where she landed solidly on her back and gripped her by the neck, leaning in close.

"On the contrary. I already have," he told her. With that, he knocked her out cold and all she saw was black.

* * *

**Sorry for the cliffhanger. That wasn't intentional, I swear.**


	13. The Cold Heart of Hate

**One more chapter and its done. I'm more happy than sad that it is, because I got back on track and managed to finish it. Having it end is better than never finishing it at all, in my opinion.**

* * *

When Tori woke up it was to the sound of Cat arguing with someone. She was vaguely aware of being in a moving vehicle because every so often it would hit a bump and jostle her. Her head swam and she tried to focus but she couldn't. Her mouth was taped shut and her hands were tied. She was laying on her side on a hard surface but she was too disoriented to try and move.

"Please!" Cat yelled, for what sounded like the thousandth time to the other passengers, plus driver of the vehicle, because they all groaned.

"Will you shut up?" Beck demanded from the front. A fellow traitor cop pushed Cat but she only pouted.

"But I really, really, really, have to go!" she responded, refusing to stay quiet. Beck sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair.

"Just make the stop. We'll have to if we want her to shut up. The plan called for two hostages not one, and if she doesn't shut up I'll kill her," Beck dryly commented like it was normal to do such things. Fear for her friend raced through Tori but in her state she couldn't do anything. The vehicle stopped and the traitor cop in back with them escorted Cat out. The long wait for their return made Tori start to drift back out of consciousness but she became aware again when radio static caught her attention.

"What's taking so long?" Beck questioned.

"_She won't leave unless she gets, um, she wants…stickers."_

Tori smiled wearily under the duct tape over her mouth. Beck wasn't so amused.

"Then get her the damn stickers and get your ass out here! We have somewhere to be!" Beck commanded.

"_Yes, sir! Sorry, sir!"_

Beck let out an agitated sound and glanced back at Tori before looking out the windshield to see Cat happily skipping over to the car with a booklet of stickers in hand. She got in and the cop followed, shutting the van's back doors. Beck shot Cat's escort a deadly glare he looked away from while the driver just raised a brow.

"Hurry up! We wasted enough time!" Beck yelled, directing his rage at the silent driver who quickly started up the vehicle. Cat giggled and leafed through the sticker book, catching Tori's unfocused gaze with a knowing smile before patting her shoulder reassuringly.

~S~S~S~S~

Jade had been nothing short of panicked the following day. Nothing Andre or Robbie said could dissuade her from what she knew to be the truth. Tori hadn't answered any of her calls or messages. She felt it was enough to tell Trina who tried to get a hold of Tori, also with no luck. Now the older Vega was just as worried as Jade.

"We shouldn't even worry. What if she's just sleeping in? Or maybe she went to work and forgot her phone?" Trina suggested. Jade shot a glare at her.

"Call her up at work then. Ask for her. If she isn't there, warn them of a possible kidnapping," Jade commanded, heading back upstairs to the loft so she could gather what she would need. She was done waiting around. Andre and Robbie followed her with deep concern etched on their features but they remained quiet.

"And tell them what? That I have a feeling my sister was kidnapped? What's my proof?" she shouted back.

"You don't need any! Tell them if they value a life and a respectable member of the team then they'll look into it! Do anything you can!" Jade shot back.

"And what are **you** gonna do?" Trina asked. Jade stopped at the foot of the stairs.

"I'm going after the bastard that took her," she responded.

"You know who did it? Then tell me!" Trina demanded, running up to Jade who shook her head.

"They won't believe you, which is what he's counting on. Just do what I told you Trina. I'll handle the rest," she refused. Trina opened her mouth a few times to argue but eventually gave up and started calling the police. Jade and her team scaled the stairs to grab their gear. Jade threw it on at that moment, uncaring if Trina saw or not so the guys followed her lead. They headed back down to the van when they were ready. The guys went out the back door before Jade who Trina happened to spot.

"What? No, I saw her yesterday, but-can you just listen to me?" she argued on the phone, but when she caught sight of Jade her eyes widened comically and she pointed an accusing finger at her.

"Holy shit! It's you!" she shouted. Jade smirked, tipped her hat, and ran for the door.

"Huh? No, I didn't see who-no, I mean, yes! I saw who did it. Sly Cooper!" Trina stated. That brought Jade to a skidding halt.

"What!?" she demanded. Trina just waved her away, a gesture that told her to hurry up.

"Yes! Thank you Chief! Please, do all you can to find her!" Trina pleaded before hanging up.

"What was that for?" Jade demanded, gesturing at the phone.

"They didn't believe me! This way they'll go out and look! I had to do something and you weren't being very helpful!" Trina retorted. Jade glared at her and paced back and forth before giving up and pushing open the back door.

"Dammit! If they catch me before I get to your sister you'll have no one to blame but yourself!" she told her before running out the door, leaving Trina frozen with anxiety. Jade jumped in the van and Andre tore out onto the street.

"Guys! I had a message from Penelope I didn't see before!" Robbie exclaimed, tapping away at his phone.

"What does it say?" Jade asked from her position in the back, leaning over the seat.

"She says The Owl has Tori. She heard him talking about taking her to a secret island. Do you think that's the same island where your family vault is?" Robbie questioned.

"It's most likely the same one. I would wonder how he knew where it was this whole time but when you really think about it, The Owl is smarter than the people he surrounds himself with. He must have had it all planned out, waiting for the right moment," Jade suspected.

"I think you're right. No use guessing though. If they got a hold of Tori today then we still have time. We're only a few hours behind at most. Let's just concentrate on getting over there as fast as we can and worry about the rest when we get there," Andre suggested. The other two nodded and silence fell. The journey was long and Jade didn't bother trying to figure out where they were or where they were going. All she could really think about was finding Tori and getting her to safety. By the time they left the mainland to take a boat out to the island she was practically sick with worry. They anchored the boat and disembarked. Robbie made sure to keep the map he had printed up on hand since his connection to the internet would be null here.

"Maybe we should start out at this point and enter here," he mumbled, planning their route while Andre looked over his shoulder and Jade looked around. Her keen gaze spotted a clue.

"Robbie," she called to him, shaking his arm.

"Let me focus, Jade," he replied. Jade rolled her eyes and tapped Andre then pointed in the direction she wanted him to look. When he saw what she meant he too nudged Robbie.

"Hey, Rob," he said, but he was brushed away.

"Don't encourage her, Andre. Now let me plan this out," he dismissed.

"Robbie!" they both yelled, startling him enough to drop the map. A gust of wind quickly took hold of it and he began to chase it when Andre grabbed him and dragged him over to the trees.

"We're in the right place," Andre told him, facing him towards a tree baring a brightly colored cupcake sticker.

"A sticker?" he questioned, confused.

"Either someone else is with Tori and left this or she's given us a path. Look," Jade explained, pushing aside foliage to step into the dense plants and stopping at another sticker which depicted a smiley face.

"But why stickers?" Andre wondered. Jade shrugged.

"Oh, well then, I guess all my work was for nothing," Robbie grumbled.

"No it wasn't. You still found us the fastest route over here," Andre reminded him. He smiled at that and nodded.

"I did," he acknowledged.

"Yeah, now stop crying and hurry up!" Jade added, beginning to push aside more plants in search of the next sticker that would lead them in the right direction. Robbie frowned and Andre shrugged. They followed their fearless leader like they always did, unsure of what they'll find but hoping for the best. It was a long trek but soon they found themselves at an abandoned campsite. Jade walked over to kneel and examine the smoldering remains of a fire.

"They probably just left," she announced.

"Or maybe they're still here," an unexpected voice answered her. She jumped to her feet and spun around to see Beckett Oliver with two cops restraining Andre and Robbie.

"Leave them out of this. It's between me and you," Jade stated, barely restrained anger in her voice. She wanted to seem calm but was close to failing. She already had too much to lose. She couldn't afford more. Beck seemed to realize it too because he only smiled and walked closer to the only two people she called family for so long.

"Let's make a deal then. You open your family vault for me, forfeiting anything it might have, and I'll let everyone you care for go free?" he offered. Jade grit her teeth but remained quiet.

"No?" Beck asked, signaling to a cop to hold Robbie more securely. Andre moved to defend but he was also held tightly by the bigger cop. Beck advanced on Robbie and glanced at Jade before raising his hand. Jade took in the metal gauntlet covering his fingers and hands up to his elbows. They were tipped at the end like talons.

"Stop," Jade gasped, eyes on Robbie's frightened expression. Beck responded by striking Robbie in the stomach. He cried out and his legs buckled but he was forced to stay standing.

"I said stop!" Jade screamed, darting forward to defend her brother. Beck ducked her attempted blow with her cane and turned it into a spin under so that he could strike her side. She cried out as the gashes tore at her flesh but brought her cane around to knock Beck on his back. She then jumped at him but he threw his feet up in time to collide with her stomach, winding her and tossing her over his head to hit the dirt. She pushed herself up but Beck quickly got behind her, reached around, and secured her cane in his hands so that he could bring it horizontally flush against her throat. He yanked back until she was choking, desperately grasping at his hands to try and get free, but her gloved hands just slipped over the glinting polished metal of the gauntlets he wore.

"Jade!" Andre called to her, panic in his tone. He fought to get loose, and almost did, but he was quickly thrown down and restrained further.

"Ah, there's your name. Jade West, the last remaining West thief. I should kill you right now but I'm not that merciful. Instead, I would rather take everything from you while you watch before I finally put you out of your misery," he whispered to her, yanking back on the cane again. She coughed and gasped for air until he released her so that she fell to the ground.

"Bind them all and bring them with us. We have the cane, now we can open the Vault. Call in the helicopter while you're at it," Beck ordered, walking away and twirling the cane as he went. The Cooper Gang were bound with their hands behind their backs and then pushed to follow Beck. The other cop directed Tori and Cat out of a tent and forced them to follow along too.

"Tori," Jade rasped, walking closer to her. Tori looked to her with relief in her eyes but couldn't say anything due to the tape. Meanwhile, Cat was trying to soothe Robbie's pain by distracting him with talking. He felt a little better just by finally meeting the woman behind the screen name. Andre walked close by them, concern creasing his face.

"This is all my fault. You and Cat wouldn't even be here if I just stayed away from you," Jade muttered, looking away from Tori who made a sound of protest and shook her head vehemently. Her fierce brown eyes told Jade not to continue. She moved so that their shoulders and arms were pressed together and locked eyes with Jade.

"I know, you don't want to hear it, but I'm still sorry," she apologized. Tori sighed through her nose and Jade fell silent next to her. Beck brought them to a clearing where the called for helicopter sat waiting. They were shoved in with Beck and then the two cops climbed in after them. The whole thing came to life and began rising. Beck took the copilot seat and directed the pilot to the tall mountain in the middle of the island.

"Get close to that ledge!" he shouted over the whipping wind. The pilot did so and Beck motioned to the cops. They nodded and each grabbed two hostages while Beck grabbed Jade. They hopped off the helicopter and it pulled away. While Beck and their captors were busy watching it leave Jade took advantage. She swept her foot under one cop's feet and then slammed into him when he lost his balance so that he toppled off the ledge, screaming the whole way down. A loud thud silenced him. The other jumped away and she missed Beck altogether. Now that they were aware, the remaining, bigger, cop tried to catch her but she dodged him.

"Run!" she yelled at the others. They did as they were told, taking the incline down, as that was their only choice.

"Get them. I'll deal with her," Beck commanded. The cop ran after the temporarily escaped hostages while Beck turned on Jade.

"They won't get far and neither will you," he remarked.

"I'm not running or else I would have already been gone," she responded certainly. Beck swooped down on her in a blur of movement. She avoided his attacks the best she could, returning attacks with high kicks. It was all she could manage until Beck caught her leg and twisted so that she fell to the ground heavily. His hand shot out to grip her by the neck and force her back to her feet.

"It feels good to finally have you in my clutches little raccoon. I'll be sure to gut your fox right in front of you," he promised. Jade screamed her rage and slammed her body into him so that they both tumbled down the incline. They rolled to a stop at the bottom where Jade hastily yanked and pulled at her bindings. She slipped free and wasted no time tackling Beck before he could get up. She got in a few punches to his face before he blocked and fended her off. He threw her off him then latched onto her neck again to subdue her. He looked around to see the hostages still bound and huddled together. The burly cop stood over them, hard eyes fixed on the fight that was now over.

"Get up and open the Vault, West. Don't get any ideas," Beck ordered, shoving her cane in her hands before releasing her. She looked up from the dusty rock ground to see a large, round, steel door with an indent in the shape of her cane in the middle of it. She staggered over under Beck's watchful eye and fit it into the slot. She cranked it to the left and then pushed in before removing her cane. Mechanisms began to shift within and then the door swung open slightly. Beck and the cop muscled it open and then Beck returned to shove Jade forward.

"Get in there," he told her. She shuffled inside and Beck followed behind her with Tori. The cop stayed outside to watch the others. Jade saw Tori and her eyes became stormy, only serving to make Beck smirk.

"An incentive to do what I say," he explained, digging his talons deep enough to draw a pinprick of blood from Tori's neck. She flinched and Jade's fury grew. She stopped to stand on a circular floor that began to lower beneath them. It came to a stop close to the floor of a wide, dimly lit room. Jade glanced around before dropping down and catching herself on nimble feet. Tori dropped down next to her, stumbling a little, before Beck landed heavily. The three looked around the circular room in awe. Jade analyzed their surroundings and her eyes came to rest on a rope leading off to a corridor on the other side of an otherwise broken bridge that had connected the middle area with a way over the chasm dividing it from the way forward.

"Looks like I go alone from here," she commented.

"The hell you are," Beck growled.

"This place was built for my family so it stands to reason that only I can traverse it," Jade shot back in response.

"No. I don't need you anymore. I can get in myself!" Beck snarled, lashing out at Jade who stumbled out of the way. She ran for the broken bridge and began crossing it when Beck leaped onto it, upsetting her footing. She caught the rope with her cane and pulled up so that she now held the rope in her hand, dangling over a drop that looked to have no end. Beck laughed above her and snagged her by the yellow collar of her blue shirt, the talons shredding it slightly.

"It ends now, West," he seethed, raising his free hand to deal the killing blow.

"Freeze, Oliver!" Inspector Vega's commanding voice shouted, bringing him to a halt. They both looked over to see that Tori was free, courtesy of the three additions behind her. She was also equipped with her paralysis pistol once more and it was aimed at her former Police Chief.

"Go ahead, Vega. Pull the trigger. We'll both fall to our deaths," he guaranteed, shaking Jade for extra emphasis. Tori only focused her aim with a grim scowl.

"Do it, Tori," Jade called to her. Tori's eyes met Jade's and a mischievous glint was found in the blue-green depths. Tori nodded and fired. Beck dodged the shot and Jade tore herself free while he was distracted. She caught the rope and found her balance just as Tori fired a following shot that hit its mark, striking Beck in the chest. His body seized and then he fell limp off the rope, only to snatch at Jade at the last minute. His talons sunk in her shoulder and pulled her off the rope but she stopped her descent with her cane hooked on the rope again. Beck's dead weight kept pulling him down so that the talons drew deep lines down her back with every inch he slipped.

"I'll…take you…with me…West," he forced out through numb lips, scowl unaffected. He tried to get a better hold and ended up sliding down further, hanging off Jade's hip and forcing a cry of agony from her mouth. Her arms shook and if it wasn't for her gloves her hands would have slipped from their hold on her cane already from the sweat that accumulated on them.

"Jade!" Tori shouted. The master thief looked up to see Tori at the edge of the stone middle ground. She raised her pistol and aimed at Beck. Jade nodded and Tori fired again. Beck's muscles gave out completely and he disappeared into the inky void below, unable to even scream. Now Jade hung off the rope with less weight but a rapidly tiring body.

"Don't give up now. Get closer and I'll haul you up," Andre told her, leaning down with a hand on the rope to use as leverage. Jade nodded and began the torturous action of pulling herself up onto the rope. She locked her legs around it, held her cane in her mouth, and then shimmied along the rope towards Andre. As soon as he could reach her he grabbed a hold of her and hauled her back on solid ground. She set aside her cane and allowed Andre to lay her out on her stomach.

"I imagine this is what a rodent feels like after a narrow escape from an attacking bird of prey. Too bad that one didn't know how to fly," she joked, cringing in pain a moment later.

"Shut up, Jade. Now isn't the time to joke," Robbie scolded, signs of tears in his eyes. Tori knelt by the thief and took in the damage done to her torso. It was gruesome enough that she had to look away from it.

"Come on. Let's get you out of here," Andre said, carefully lifting Jade and then throwing her over his shoulder where she hung off him limply. Tori picked up her cane and Cat took Robbie by the hand. They all climbed onto the moving platform that then took them back up to the surface where they walked out into a cool atmosphere with a setting sun.

"I don't know about you, but I don't want to be here when it gets dark," Robbie pointed out. The others nodded their agreement while Cat just pressed closer to Robbie.

"Wait, did you spare the pilot?" Tori questioned, glancing at the knocked out cop laying in the grass tied up.

"Yeah, he should be cowering in the helicopter waiting for us. It didn't take much to make him listen," Andre replied.

"Ok then. Andre, set Jade in first then come back for this one. I'll make sure he's exposed for what he's done. Cat, Robbie, keep an eye on Jade," Tori told them. While they moved into action Tori shut the West Vault and locked it with the cane. It was slow going since the door was so heavy, but she managed it just as the others were ready to go. She ran to the helicopter and was given a boost in by Andre. When everyone was settled they rose into the sky on their way home. Tori held Jade's cane close and rested a hand on her paler than normal cheek. Robbie found a medical kit in the helicopter and did what he could to patch her up and ease her of the pain. Now she slept soundly with the help of some painkillers. They touched down on the mainland where Jade was taken to a hospital. The group spent a whole day there before Jade woke up, wanting to head home. She was hell bent on getting everyone home safely, not wanting to wait for something bad to happen. Tori had to quiet her guilty ramblings more than once with a kiss and her fingers running through her black and blue hair.

That usually calmed her down. After three days passed Jade refused to stay any longer. She was now strong enough to refuse any attempt to calm her and her temper returned. They had no choice but to comply with wry smiles, irritated that Jade didn't want to be 'coddled' anymore, as she termed it, but happy to see Jade up and venting her frustrations again. Once they reached the city they called home she instantly relaxed. Tori helped her into bed with the promise that she wasn't going anywhere, and then reunited with her sister. Andre made it his duty to bring in the cops who helped Beck and Robbie took it upon himself to get Cat home. With everything settling down and Trina finally went home for the day Tori found herself leaning on the doorway to Jade's room. The master thief was sprawled on her stomach in bed wearing nothing but shorts and a sports bra, leaving her whole bandaged back exposed and relieved of any pressure. The mess of blankets was pulled up to her waist but one of her legs stuck out stubbornly. She cracked open an eye and smiled at Tori.

"Don't just stand there, Tor," she mumbled. Tori allowed a small smile and walked over to perch on the edge of the bed. Jade groaned dramatically and reached up to pull Tori down next to her where she shifted so that she laid on her undamaged side and draped an arm over Tori. Her lips found the inspectors and her hand drifted up to bury in her hair. Tori placed a tentative hand on Jade's cheek. When Jade pulled away she sighed.

"I missed you so much," Jade whispered, nuzzling under Tori's chin.

"I was with you the whole time," she replied.

"Not as close as I wanted you to be," Jade explained.

"No, but I never left your side," Tori responded, tracing over Jade's face while a lengthy silence followed.

"You know, you said it was your fault that this happened to us but it's my fault for even allowing this between us. If I hadn't become a weakness for you-" Tori began only for Jade to cut her off with a chuckle.

"If you had never been there I would have died. I love the guys but we all know that this lifestyle isn't the safest thing in the world. We already talked about what we would do should one of us not make it on a heist. We would move on. But I'm not sure I could move on without you, Tori. It made me fight that much harder to see you guys safe so that we can be like this again. I love you, and not even the fear of dying will keep me from you," Jade stated sincerely. Tori grinned and kissed Jade tenderly.

"I love you too. So much," she responded, snuggling as close to Jade as she could without causing her discomfort. Jade held her and allowed herself to relax. Danger, pain, dying. She would overcome all that as long as she still had the love of her fox. That was all she needed.


	14. Teamwork

_1 Year Later_

Jade waited as patiently as she could for the rest of her team to show up. She was glad they had more of a social life but tonight she needed them and she had a feeling they were taking their time. She grumbled under her breath and let her head fall back with her eyes closed, trying to remain patient. Robbie was seeing Cat and the two went out a lot. Now that Robbie wasn't at home most of the time there wasn't as much gadgets and food being made but Jade and Andre were happy for him. As for Andre, he discovered a gym that helped him stay fit while he sometimes entered their small tournaments for money on the side. Jade further relaxed on the recliner and let out a long suffering sigh, dragging it out on purpose when she heard the door open.

"Finally! Now if you don't want me to jab you two with my cane all the way out to the van I suggest you hurry up," Jade snapped at them irritably. They each picked up their bags, which Jade had killed time putting together, and quickly left. After getting geared up and Robbie directed Andre to the right warehouse Jade hopped out in the alley behind the building. She climbed the large boxes stacked against the wall to reach the roof.

"_Once you get in the skylight there should be a stack of crates you can drop down on. Careful though, there's a lot of baddies in there."_

"Ha, baddies? Really Bentley? No problem. I got this," she assured him.

"_Then get in there and show them who's boss, Sly."_

"Yes, sir," she saluted even though he couldn't see. She heard him laugh, knowing that he knew what she did. She found the skylight and hooked her cane on the edge so that she could lower herself closer to the crates before letting go. She landed silently, as always, and made her way to the center of the room.

"_That ugly mug in the back right corner is the one you want to pickpocket for a key to the small chest guarded in the top left corner of the room. I believe they have a very valuable statuette inside."_

"Got it. Start the car the minute the cops show up," she told Murray.

"_I'll be ready."_

With his confirmation she set about getting close enough to pickpocket her target. She worked around his position as silently as she could and then began climbing down behind him. She reached out with her cane and carefully hooked the keys she would need then made her way back up to higher ground. She shifted her position and spotted the safe. She made a running leap to swing across the pipes running along the ceiling and landed on the other side of the room's stack of crates. She then employed the same tactics as she had before and now stood behind the two guards. She hooked one and slammed him into the other hard enough to send them crashing into a high stack of crates that toppled so that it created a protective barricade just in time for the alerted thugs to come running. Jade swiftly unlocked the safe, grabbed the statuette, and replaced it with her calling card before climbing over the barricade to the higher level stacks once more. Gun shots began ringing out but they missed her every time.

"There's only so long before I get hit by a stray bullet. You ready Inspector Fox?" Jade radioed into a different channel.

"_Ready ringtail. Just give the word."_

"Get in here and send them running," Jade signaled.

"_Stay down until they're all rounded up. Wait by the way you came in."_

"Ok," Jade acknowledged, running and leaping over stacks to crouch right under the skylight. In minutes the sound of police alarms along with red and blue lights lit up outside the warehouse. The chaos below turned from trying to find Jade to running for any exit.

"Fuck, we were supposed to keep the treasure here before the boss shows up and that damn Sly Cooper stole it! Now the cops found us? What the hell!" the apparent leader cursed. Jade peeked over the edge to see Vega bust down the doors with two other officers, her paralysis pistol held at the ready.

"Freeze and put your hands behind your head!" she commanded the room in a booming voice. One refused to listen and fired at her but she was ready for it and rolled into a dodge. When she came out of the roll she countered, sending him crashing to the ground.

"Anyone else?" she questioned. They shook their heads and allowed her partners to cuff them.

"How in the world does Cooper always get away? You guys are shitty cops!" one accused.

"You must be worse than us then if we caught you," Inspector Vega responded.

"Oh come on! It can't be that hard to catch her!" the leader griped. Vega's brow rose and she stared him down with her left hand on her hip and the other relaxed at her side, pistol still in hand.

"Actually, it's harder than you think," she stated, a quality to her voice that confused the small time criminal but made Jade smirk up on her perch. She chuckled under her breath, stored the statuette in her backpack, and then climbed back out of the skylight. She took a deep breath of the cool air and couldn't help but think that thieving just became ten times more enjoyable.

~S~S~S~S~

Jade whimpered under the firm yet sensual hands caressing over her body. She hummed her appreciation when they moved down her sore back and worked deep into the muscles. They occasionally deviated to trace lightly over the cutting scars down her back and then the soft touch was firm once more, delving past skin to loosen tense muscle again. Strong legs straddled her waist and she sighed at the way Tori knew exactly what she needed.

"Tori…oh, yeah, right there," she directed her, a satisfied grin spreading across her face.

"Geez, your hands are magic," she continued. Tori laughed, the sound gratifying to Jade's ears.

"You're ridiculous, Jade. How much you wanna bet they think I'm doing way more than giving you a back massage?" Tori mumbled, leaning down to speak quietly in Jade's ear. Instead of agreeing she just groaned loudly and stretched out happily under Tori like a cat stretching after a good nap. She then rolled over and captured Tori in her arms so that she could press their bodies together and Jade could kiss her.

"That's the most entertaining part of getting massages," Jade pointed out playfully. Tori smiled and pecked Jade on the cheek before slipping out of her arms and getting up. Jade stood and raised her arms over her head, pulling on her torso until her back cracked and she sighed.

"Part of hanging around guys is accepting that for the most part they're probably always thinking something sexual. I just take advantage of it. Like now," Jade explained. She stood behind Tori and began working her fingers into the tense muscles of her shoulders so that Tori couldn't help but moan happily. Jade dropped kisses where her hands had been and then slid down to wrap her arms around Tori's waist while she rested her chin on her shoulder.

"So then anything truly sexual-" Tori began.

"Happens only at your place. I'll have no perverted brothers trying to listen in on our time alone," Jade joked with a hint of seriousness.

"Do you really think they would do that?" Tori wondered. Jade made a big show of thinking about it before shrugging.

"Well, at your place we have more freedom to be…loud. Plus there's no one there to interrupt us," she pointed out, her hands slipping slightly under Tori's shirt to draw circles on her hips. Tori smiled and leaned back to look at Jade over her shoulder, their noses touching.

"How about after I drop off Trina we meet up at my place?" Tori suggested. Jade grinned and bit her bottom lip in a way that drew Tori's eyes to her mouth.

"I like the sound of that," she replied. Their lips met once before Trina's voice called for Tori. Jade sighed and buried her face in the crook of Tori's neck to groan her irritation. Tori just patted her head.

"Tori! Let's go! If you don't get out here I swear I'll go get you! I don't care what you're doing right now!" Trina shouted. Jade marveled at the comfort Trina had towards them now compared with when they first met. She guessed it might have had a strong correlation with Jade putting her life on the line to rescue Tori.

"I knew I should have never allowed her to come in here whenever she wanted," Jade complained. Tori slipped from her arms and turned to hold Jade's face in her hands.

"Believe it or not, the nicer you are to Trina the nicer she is to you," she said, pecking Jade on the lips before letting go. Jade scoffed and turned away to retrieve a shirt she could throw on. Tori slipped on her shoes and then led Jade out to the living room where Trina waited with a tapping foot and the guys gave them a quirked brow of suspicion which just made Jade smirk back in return.

"You'd think after becoming Chief of Police you would be more punctual," the older Vega nagged her little sister. Jade rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. Why did Trina have to kill all the fun? To be fair, later she was going to continue the fun she was having not too long ago before Trina showed up, so stopping now wasn't too bad. It was a little harder to see her fox now that she had been promoted to Beck's position. Jade was proud of her but missed her since she saw less of her. Tori, honorable cop that she was, managed to make Beck sound like an officer downed on the field. Jade was angry for that but knew that it had to be done whether she liked it or not.

The whole police department would be compromised if it was found out that someone so high in their ranks was actually a criminal so Jade let it slide. As for her, she still stole, but with Tori providing her with targets they were searching for she was able to work her way into their stronghold, steal what she deemed valuable, and then alert the cops to their location when she was done. It was a symbiotic relationship Jade and Tori enjoyed. It gave both a great reputation to boot while no one was any the wiser that the two opposite ends of the law were working together. Not to mention the added perks of having a cop for a girlfriend. Jade's tracks were almost always covered so that it was that much harder to capture her.

"See ya around Vega sisters," Jade said in farewell. Tori kissed her cheek, hugged Robbie and Andre, then left with Trina who was done for the day down at the bookstore. Trina's own car was in the shop at the moment after she tried racing someone through a red light. It was 'slightly dinged up', as she called it, but one look from Tori and Jade and they knew it had to have been at least moderately dinged up. When they were gone Jade contemplated seeing Tori as Sly Cooper or Jade West. She did have an exchange to make with an artsy guy named Dimitri before the week was out. Maybe he would even be interested in the recent statuette they stole? With that Jade geared up and headed for the door.

"Uh oh, someone looks frustrated," Andre teased, looking away from the TV when she entered.

"Did Trina dragging off Tori cause it?" Robbie asked, honesty in his question, unlike Andre.

"Ugh, yes, but its ok. I'm going to fix that after I make an exchange with Dimitri," Jade responded.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't!" Andre continued to joke.

"Ha, ha. Yeah, sure," Jade replied in a deadpan, shooting him a look before giving them a wave and exiting. She quickly took to the stairs two at a time and left out the back door to climb to the roof. As she traveled from one building to the next, looking for the street she needed, Jade's mind wandered to the time she crossed the very same buildings to see Tori after she thought she had been betrayed. What would it have been like if that hadn't happened, or if it did and Jade didn't forgive her? She shook the thought away and slid down a ladder into a narrow alley that held the door she was looking for. She knocked on it, and with a slide of metal on metal, an opening appeared at the top. Eyes peered out at her.

"You have some valuables?" the oily, accented voice questioned.

"Um, sure. If you have the golds," she replied in a vague New Jersey accent. She laughed at her own antics but put on a straight face when the door opened a crack. The red glow of a lit cigar could be seen in the dark before the man showed himself in the flickering light that had turned on behind him when the door opened. To Jade, Dimitri looked like a lizard.

"Let me see. I am a very busy artist and anything less than true art is not worth my time. So you better not be wasting my time, Cooper," he warned her. Jade rolled her eyes but dug in her backpack. The last time he tried to 'intimidate' her she beat him up. She doubted he had gotten any tougher since then. She held out a small painting that he scoffed at, declaring it unfit for viewing pleasure. She rolled her eyes and pulled out the statuette instead. He gasped dramatically.

"A true work of art! You'll get double for this!" he celebrated. He set aside the statuette and retrieved a bigger bar of gold than the two small bars he normally gave. That was the reason Jade liked doing business with him. She had no idea how he got such money but she didn't care as long as she got a share of it. She took it from him and slipped it in her backpack.

"Nice doing business with you," she said with a tip of her cap.

"Likewise," he replied. Jade spun her cane and then disappeared into the shadows after the door shut. She climbed up the nearby ladder and turned in the direction of Tori's apartment, excitement racing in her veins. Being with her former rival in a more intimate way was almost the same thrill as it was to be chased by her, but better. Jade quickened her pace and in no time slipped down the fire escape to tap on Tori's window. The Inspector showed up in a tank top and loose pajama pants to answer the window. She slid it open and Jade entered.

"It's kinda warm out there and you decided to show up in that?" she inquired playfully.

"I could get rid of some clothes," Jade teased with a laugh. She began taking off her pack, belt, and boots before pulling Tori closer to her.

"I had some business to attend to before coming here," she answered truthfully, voice already husky, her lips brushing Tori's ear.

"Oh," Tori breathed, tilting her head back so Jade could trail kisses down her neck.

"Yeah, so what did you have in mind?" she mumbled against Tori's skin. She slid one hand up Jade's shirt to drag her fingers over the uneven scarred surface of her skin and then contrasted the smooth yet damaged skin with the silky smooth quality of her raven hair as her other hand buried in the waves to tilt Jade's head back so that she could return the kisses Jade gave her. A throaty groan left Jade's lips and Tori's mouth soon swallowed the rest when she eagerly kissed her. When they parted Tori locked eyes with Jade, the world seeming to fall away with the help of the mask and dark make-up around Jade's eyes, isolating their sharp color. Tori reached out and slipped the mask off then reached back up with her other hand to stroke Jade's cheek.

"I was thinking I could blindfold you with your mask and add my cuffs," Tori casually revealed, but a suggestive quality bled into her voice as well as the look in her eyes. The Inspector held out a hand and the master thief accepted it after yanking off her gloves and tossing them over her shoulder. She smirked as Tori led her to her bedroom.

"This'll be fun," Jade commented, anticipation in her voice.

"I hope so," Tori responded, voice sultry. She tossed a seductive smile over her shoulder. Both weren't disappointed at what followed, and afterwards, Jade held Tori in her arms. They basked in the simple feeling of being together. Jade smiled contentedly and brushed back Tori's hair then cupped her cheek.

"I can't imagine a day without you in my life," she whispered honestly. Tori grinned and placed her hand over Jade's to squeeze it gently.

"Then I'll never leave your side," she replied. Jade wrapped her fox in her arms protectively and relaxed against her, completely at ease with someone nature, as well as society, dictated she shouldn't feel so strongly about. Tori responded to her raccoon with a loving embrace, just as uncaring of what nature and society had to say about it. They were simply themselves, loving without boundaries, as they always would be.


End file.
